#au where din has to go undercover as a jedi

[noramsblog]

JEDI DIN

[vagrantblvrd]

The stupidly over-complicated AU where everyone lives but things still go to hell.

Anakin and Padme have to  hide Luke and Leia to prevent Palpatine from getting his hands on them. Because you know he’d love to use them against Anakin and Padme and/or make them his apprentices.

(Something, something, something turn the to the Dark Side to throw against Anakin and the others? But when Palpatine deems them ready he has them fight to the death because there can only be two sith nonsense.

Something he makes sure they’re very much aware of during their training and so are meant to consider the other an Enemy.

But you know, they totally Scheme Together against Palpatine because oh, hey, there are two of them. How strange.)

ANYWAY.

Things go wrong early on in that whoever they send Luke with gets intercepted along the way - Rex, perhaps - and they have to do the cool evasive maneuvers and whatnot and end up crashing on Mandalore or nearby covert/group of Mandalorians.

And due to Plot Reasons it’s not safe to try and leave wherever they ended up because everyone is looking for Anakin Skywalker’s son and the rebel traiter clone commander who absconded with him, and anyway Plot Reasons.

So Rex is like, when in Mandalore or whatever and he and Luke hide out with the Mandalorians.

Perhaps Rex fulfills the Resol’nare, perhaps not, but Luke is considered his foundling and um, Plot Reasons???

MEANWHILE.

Obi-Wan is entrusted with Leia, and idk, goes to Alderaan where Bail and Breha raise her as their daughter? But also Obi-Wan training her in ~sekrit to become a Jedi.

It’s interesting times, because complicated? Definitely yes.

She knows Bail and Breha aren’t her biological parents even though they love her like she is, knows her real parents are important figures in the Rebel Alliance and such.

When she was younger she remembers this couple, sad, kind, all the things she remembers of her mother from the movies and whatnot.

And when she’s older Obi-Wan’s former padawan brings intel and whatnot from the Rebellion and she’s this close to realizing Anakin is her father for the longest time because Plot Reasons, you know?

Sometimes Padme is with Anakin, sometimes it’s Cody and everyone is like “We have...Things to do. Over there,” and leave the two of them alone because love in wartime and Drama and Angst I cannot not do, and anyway.

Something happens with Mandalore - Imperial shenanigans is the best way to put it and they send Cody undercover to investigate?

(Because clone and even now there are others like him fleeing to Mandalore or whatever because there’s a new Mand’alor, and anyway.)

He gets there and discovers the Mand’alor’s husband and son are missing and Imperials are suspected to be behind it, and also? Rex is there and the Mand’alor’s husband and son are Force-sensitives and perhaps someone who’s an actual Jedi would like to look into things as well????

So off Obi-Wan and Leia go to find Din who is >:((((((((((( because his idiot husband and tiny green gremlin kid and of course they’d get caught up in this nonsense.

Anyway.

Adventures and shenanigans in which Leia realizes the Mand’alor’s husband is her damn brother - her twin - and her biological parentage and also there’s this scruffy smuggler in there somehow?

But also.

Rex telling them that Luke learned to use his powers through old journals that belonged to a certain Jedi master and also little quests about in which Din met Ahsoka and was like, pls help my idiot husband, and she keeps meaning to tell Anakin and such?

But intergalactic war and people trying to kill her and she’s been real busy, okay?

Also Luke teaching Grogu and Din is like So Tired.

Also, also?

Imperials trying to being Luke who is mostly feral these days and also raised as a Mandalorian with Jedi sorcery and rad Mandalorian armor, so, you know.

It doesn’t go well for the Imperials who caught him and Grogu.

Everyone catches up to them on some Imperial base where Luke and Grogu meet them halfway, right?

Luke and Leia running into one another first and she’s like, “Hey, so, we’re here to rescue you?” because clearly her brother, her twin, didn’t need the save, but hey, whatever.

And then, like. Idk, shenanigans in which Satine is one of Din’s advisors Bo-Katan is another and there’s a reason he hates council meetings so much?

But also the Armorer and to his everlasting regret/gratitude Paz, and anyway.

Yes

Shenanigans and such, and Luke losing his hand - against Palpatine or to save his father or something suitably dramatic and then beskar hand because I love it so much and just.

Eventual ousting of Palpatine and the Empire and happily ever afters.

But also, also, emotional everything with all that Anakin and Padme did to protect their kids that went so horribly wrong (but also not) and anger and issue and whatnot and Leia being a Jedi?

But like.

Angry about it.

Because the Jedi Order and their doctrines and whatnot and look at her idiot brother over there with all his attachments and yes he turned out to be an idiot? But didn’t fall to the Dark Side and what she’s saying is maybe the Jedi Order needs to take a long hard look itself, you know?

Obi-Wan and Cody get to be in one place for longer than a week and it’s glorious, okay? Glorious.

Anakin accompanies Padme to when she heads to Mandalore once the war’s over to discuss them joining the New Republic in which there is much doting on a tiny green gremlin kid.

Also awkward family bonding moments with Anakin, Padme, and Luke, and also Leia is there because Jedi reasons?

Cannot decide if Leia remaining a Jedi or Leia going into politics is most satisfying? Because Jedi!Leia would have so much to say about the way the Jedi Order approaches everything and with Obi-Wan’s training in both Jedi ways and negotiations and everything she learned from the Organas as well as what Padme shares with her? Few can match her, y’know?

(Also, though. Think of Din and Luke sparring with the armor and Jedi sorcery and whatnot and idiot husbands and Grogu is always scandalized when a pin ends with a smooch or keldabe kiss depending on whether or not helmets are involved because he is a child, sirs!!1!)

Idk, it’s late and my thoughts are all over the place, but yes???

[treescape]

WIP Challenge

WIP Challenge 😁❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍❤😁🤩🤩  Rules: tell us the titles of all the WIPs you are currently working on right now and a little about them. Then tag five other writers.

Thank you so much to @outpastthemoat for the tag! <3 <3 <3

I wasn't kidding the other day when I said I have 36 files in my In Progress folder 😅 So I'm not going to post all of them. I'm leaving out quite a few shorter prompt fills I'm working on, a few I haven’t actually gotten past the daydreaming stage for yet, as well as a few that I really don't know how I'll move forward on.

Details below the cut, since it's long. Please note that some fics are E rated. Fics are divided by pairing (obikin, dinluke, quiobi, and other/gen)

Feel free to ask me about any of these by the way--I love talking about fic!

obikin/vaderwan

eastwest

Anakin was raised a Sith, Obi-Wan a Jedi. Vader is cursed to never be able to show his face until a Jedi comes to love him. After Vader kills his Master the Emperor, he puts out a demand: one of the Jedi must come to him or he will destroy the few who remain.

Obi-Wan, naturally, sacrifices himself.

This is basically a mix of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, Beauty and the Beast, Cupid and Psyche, and Hades and Persephone. I've posted a small snippet on tumblr here.

This will be a longer, chaptered work, which I won't start posting until I've finished game plan.

exhaustion habits

For a prompt for the lines “Come on, now, Master, I couldn’t possibly carry you with more dignity” and “Obi-Wan had known exhaustion with a brutal intimacy for years” from my phone notes prompts. Order 66 doesn’t happen, and the Republic wins the war. Now that the war is over, however, Obi-Wan is so used to running on nothing but fumes that he finds it difficult to sleep if he's anything less than flat out exhausted. Since he still has to run himself ragged before he can rest, he thus keeps falling asleep in the most random places. Anakin is determined to do something about it.

game plan (chapter 2)

The second chapter of my fic in which Anakin was raised a Sith, Obi-Wan a Jedi, and they keep meeting during the Clone Wars. This was meant to be a more lighthearted Vaderwan fic than I usually write and I'm really loving it so far. There will be five chapters total, and I have them all pretty well planned out--I just need to work my way through my writing anxiety and finish them! In this second chapter, Vader has captured Obi-Wan (again) and is taking him back to his ship--but their shuttle has a bit of a malfunction and they're stranded. I've posted two brief snippets on tumblr, here and here.

light of day

The companion piece to dreamfield; Vader finds Obi-Wan on Tatooine, as suggested by my friend Scruffy! I've posted a snippet of this on tumblr here.

in darkness and light

My soulmates AU in which Anakin is raised a Sith and Obi-Wan a Jedi (are you…seeing a pattern here??? 😂) I’ve posted two brief snippet of this on tumblr, here and here! This will be chaptered, and I won’t be starting to post it until after game plan is done.

to have and to hold (part 5)

This is the fifth part of to have and to hold, for a prompt in which Obi-Wan and Anakin first sleep together. My lips are sealed as to the rest.

to have and to hold (part 6)

For a prompt in which Obi-Wan makes a misstep—and Anakin unknowingly comforts him.

to have and to hold (part 7)

For a prompt wanting to know a bit more about Bail and the twins. Obi-Wan learns some information he wishes he didn’t know—because if he doesn’t know it, he can never accidentally share it.

untitled omega!Obi-Wan

This for a prompt that asked for more in the unexceptional timing world! It will be a prequel (or can also be completely standalone). Obi-Wan, after all, has to get pregnant somehow 👀 I've posted a small snippet on tumblr here.

untitled prompt

For a prompt for the line "I'm sorry but.. Who are you?" Obi-Wan and Anakin are undercover. Shenanigans ensue! 👀

dinluke

nightmares (working title)

Din and Luke have just recently gotten together, but Luke never wants to spend the full night with Din. Luke finally confesses to Din that he has nightmares that he’s afraid of disturbing Din with. This is a big of an angstier piece than I normally do for dinluke, delving a bit into the PTSD that both Din and Luke experience.

stars shine down (on us and our love) (chapter 3)

The third chapter of my dinluke romcom, in which Leia hires Luke a bounty hunter to help out at his Jedi academy. In chapter 3, we move back to Luke's point of view the morning after Din first arrives on Yavin IV. I’m quite late getting this one done--I’m sorry! 😣

teach me (to know you) (chapter 2)

I am still planning to write this 😅 It picks up pretty much immediately after chapter 1 and is, uhh, very spicy.

untitled political au

Luke and Din are both senators. Luke was raised in politics, Din didn't even run for office and was elected because so many people put his name as a write in because they love him so much. Din and Luke fall in love around long and grueling committee meetings.

quiobi

all roads lead

Qui-Gon’s gone missing and the Council believes him to be dead. Obi-Wan refuses to believe it—and is determined to find him. I’ve been working on this for almost a year now and am hoping to finish it in the next couple of months!

 beyond the greystone walls

The second part of my QuiObi Witcher AU. In this ‘verse, Qui-Gon is a Witcher who refuses to actually kill monsters, and Obi-Wan is a Sorcerer. In this specific part, Qui-Gon learns that Obi-Wan is being held captive and goes to rescue him—only to learn he’s ruined Obi-Wan’s undercover mission. Whoops.

  legends and stars (chapter 2)

The second chapter of my imperial au, which is a secret santa gift for chibiobiwan. Palpatine came to power about twenty years before he does in canon; Obi-Wan becomes an Imperial officer instead of a Jedi, but keeps hearing rumours about the rebel leader Qui-Gon Jinn. This will be 5 chapters and an epilogue, and my goal is to get it all wrapped up in the next couple of months. The second chapter picks up right where the last one left off, with Obi-Wan having just landed on Tython.

 The Trials and Tribulations of Master Kenobi, Gentleman (chapter 2)

The second chapter of my QuiObi Regency AU! Which I am still working on! I swear! This fic will be four chapters, of which only one is posted. In the first chapter, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan met in the library of their gentleman’s club. Now, it’s time for Obi-Wan to go home to his family estate of Stewjon for the summer. When he arrives, it’s to learn that his family is in a tizzy about their new neighbour, Master Skywalker—whose best friend and advisor is currently staying with him. I wonder who that is.

untitled

This is for a university AU prompt! I adore university AUs! In this one, we have Professor Kenobi--and Qui-Gon, who has gone back to school many years after his first degree to complete a second. Professor Kenobi just wants to finish the conference paper he has to give in a few days. Why are all the books he needs signed out of the library, when he hasn’t even assigned these poets on his syllabus? Who is reading his damn poets? And can he, like...marry them?

other/gen

a beautiful day in the senate

A Clone Wars, Qui-Gon lives AU! This one is Qui-Gon & Ahsoka gen. Qui-Gon has business at the Senate--and why not take his great-grand padawan along with him so they can spend the day together? Alas, their quiet day out turns into a bit of a catastrophe when there’s disaster in the Senate. I’ve posted a brief snippet of this here.

snowblooms

My top secret Codywan fic 👀 It involves books. And slowly falling in love.

untitled

A post-Wild Space Bail & Obi-Wan gen fic which I am super excited about. It’s a 5 times fic—based on a line in the book where Bail thinks of Obi-Wan: “And best of all, I don’t have a single thing he wants. How often do I meet someone who wants nothing from me?” So it’s five times Obi-Wan actually did want something of Bail—but the thinks are things like, he wants Bail to have survived order 66 etc. I just love their friendship so much.

Tagging (with absolutely no pressure to do this!) @tessiete , @acatbyanothername93 , @antheiasilva , @darkisrising , @xeniaraven !!!

[shadowmaat]

Jedimindfic: Hodgepodge Edition

The splitting of the masterlist continues with the catch-all category for stuff that doesn’t fit elsewhere.

Obimaul fics here.

Codywan fics here.

Surge Squad fics here. (Save Boba AU)

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Shippy stuff

Black Parade (Bobadin) - Song title prompt by btwxsixesandsevens. Old Guard AU with Din as an immortal from the Old Republic days who has learned to shut everyone out. Until he meets a certain green kid and dreams of someone like him.

Silver Claws or Golden Spurs (Fox/Kit Fisto) - Fic title prompt by norcumii. Support Your Local Sheriff! AU with some fantasy thrown in where Fox is the sheriff of a mining town beset with problems, including newcomer Kit and railroad baron Palpatine.

Miss Information (Jocasta Nu/OC, on AO3) - The 501st picks up a passenger from the Temple for a mission and is shocked to find out she’s in a relationship.

Trapped (Bobadin) - Bobadin week, Fluff. Featuring Boba, a feral tooka, and a smug Din. 

A Way Forward (Bobadin) - Bobadin week, Identity. Boba helps Din with his struggle to decide who and what he is.

The Paladin (Bobadin) Unfinished and likely to stay that way. AU mashup of neighbors/celebrities where Din moves into Boba’s building and Boba totally doesn’t care.

Piloting Error (pre-Padme/Bodhi) When Bodhi saw the grenade he knew it was all over, so he was confused to find himself flung into a room with a bunch of similar-looking ladies pointing blasters at him. Time Travel AU.

Fox Caught (pre-Kit/Fox) - Fox and the other troopers have been rescued, but at what cost?

Fox Trap (pre-Kit/Fox) - Fox gets himself captured while chasing the trail of a suspected Hunt Club abducting troopers, but how will he get himself and his sibs out of this? The answer is NOT what he wants.

Not Worth It (pre-Kit/Fox) Fox is battered and lost and knows he’s been left behind to die, but someone may have an objection to that.

Expectations vs. Reality (Kit/Aayla) - follow-up where Aayla smashes up some slaveholding equipment and carries Kit off into the sunset. Prompt request.

A Slave to Expectations (Kit/Aayla) - An undercover mission to expose a slavery ring has Kit wishing the universe wasn’t quite so obvious in its biases. Prompt request.

Kiss to Avoid Detection, pt. 2 (Jango/Obi-Wan) - Same as below, but from Obi-Wan’s POV.

Kiss to Avoid Detection (Jango/Obi-Wan) - AU where Obi-Wan convinces Jango to rescue the clones and they run off together (with an army). Avoiding getting caught gets a little heated.

Aide and Abet (Original Stressed-out Prequels Senator/Their Loyal Aide Trying to Get Them to Relax)  - Lona just wants her bull-headed Senator to relax, but when a nice breakfast out turns dangerous, it reveals far more than either of them could have guessed. Rarepairs. On AO3.

Warlord of Dathomir - (Bail/Maul/Breha) Bail and Breha entertain a delegation from the recently liberated Dathomir, and while they know better than to listen to rumor, the reality is far more potent than they expected.  Rarepairs. On AO3.

Hunter’s Bargain - (Jango Fett/Shmi)   Jango knew better than to work with the hutts, but he took the job anyway. When the deal goes south, he'll have to rely on a tough, desperate mother if he wants to get out of it alive. Rarepairs. On AO3.

Hard Truths, Soft Conclusions - (Shmi/Plo Koon)  After a slave rebellion, Plo Koon is sent to Tatooine to negotiate over hyperlane rights, but concerns raised by the former slaves leave him questioning his role in the war and the lives of his men. Luckily, Shmi Skywalker is there to lend a helping hand. Rarepairs. On AO3.

Between the Lines -  Original Jedi Archivist/Original Jedi Knight) All that Librarian Keltin wants to do is enjoy her shifts in the Jedi Archives, but a certain Knight keeps showing up to cause chaos, and things go downhill from there. (a rarepairs treat misfire, so a treat for me). On AO3.

Confluence (Kit/Aayla, on AO3) - Kit and Aayla share some rare quiet time together and discuss their relationship.

Spin the Bottle (Han/Boba) - AU where Boba is involved in the Rebellion and Han’s plans go a little awry during a, uh, friendly game.

Jabber Jaws (Han/Boba, Jaws AU) - An “obscure AU” prompt has Boba hiring Han and Chewie’s fishing boat to go hunting a shark. Minishot

Avoiding Detection (Han/Boba) - On the run from the (technically) good guys, Han tries an age-old method to avoid getting caught.

A Different Kind of Payout (Han/Boba, on AO3)- When a minor bounty drops into his lap, Boba decides to take advantage (rarepairs treat) 

Something New (Han/Boba, on pillowfort)- trope mashup: Prison AU + Accidentally Saving the Day. Boba grew up in prison and thought he’d seen everything. Until the guards dump a smart-mouthed new prisoner on him named Han Solo.  

Cold Comfort (Han/Boba)- Instead of delivering Han to Jabba Boba removes his ex from carbonite, but his plans for the future don’t match Han’s.

The Han That Rocks the Cradle (Han/Boba) -  Boba Fett is still in the process of making a name for himself and figuring out what to do with his life. He's been hired to rescue a young girl from the men who kidnapped her, but what should have been an easy job gets complicated when she refuses to leave without her fellow hostage. Things get even worse when one of the kidnappers switches sides to join them, insisting he never agreed to any of this. It'll take a week to get to Glee Anselm, but Boba may kill Han Solo long before that.

Kiss and Run (Han/Boba)- Han’s latest plan almost got them both killed. They manage a stumbling, heated kiss before needing to escape. (kiss prompt)

In Good Hands (Boba/Lando)- Wish fulfillment prompt for me-sen, an artist I like: Boba Fett gets Lando out of a spot of trouble, but it’s Boba who needs the help.

To Tame a Sith (Qui-Gon/Maul, on AO3) Qui-Gon captures Maul on Tatooine and becomes unduly fascinated. (tw: very dubious consent, unhealthy relationships, dehumanizing language- a rarepairs assignment)

Hedged In (in SL-Walker’s Game of Thrones: Alderaan) Bail gets lost and Maul comes to find him.

A Voice from the Past (Bail/Maul, Game of Thrones: Alderaan AU) - Bail is helping Maul study when an old recording causes Maul to have a flashback to his tormented childhood.

His Bodyguard (Bail/Maul, on pillowfort)- trope mashup: Bodyguard AU + Mutual Pining. Maul is a Jedi Knight assigned to guard overly-outspoken Senator Organa from assassins. They discover they have a lot in common, including confidantes who suggest they act on their feelings.  

Summer of Love (Khameir/Tanner)- trope mashup: Summer Camp AU + Dance of Romance, featuring Maul- I mean Khameir as a camp counselor for “troubled youth” and Tanner, whose feelings for Khameir are troubling indeed. (sort of an in-universe fic within Blackbirds: Year One).

Love and War (Khameir/Tanner)- a fic-within-a-fic from SL-Walker’s Blackbirds: Year One featuring Tango’s clone OC and a very obvious (except to Maul) stand-in for his Lieutenant.

A Stocking Stuffed with Drabbles- (on AO3) - A collection of all the prompts I’ve answered from the J.edifest Daily Stocking event for December 2017. Some shippy, some gen. 

The Grumbler (Spiritassassin)- based on a comic by aortdn: Chirrut is talking to a group of kids who run in fear from a bewildered Baze. (also on AO3)

Quiet Me (Bodhi/Luke)- Bodhi suffers a flashback and Luke tries to help calm him down again.

The Soaring Skywalkers (Stormpilot)- trope mashup: Circus AU + Green-Eyed Epiphany. Finn seeks refuge in the Skywalker Family Circus and Poe Dameron takes him under his wing. When a new stray joins up and is paired with Poe for acrobatics, Finn finds himself conflicted over their closeness.

A Hot Piece of Work (Stormpilot)- Finn and Poe have crashed on a desert world and Finn is having trouble with Poe’s efforts to keep cool.

Trapped in a Small Space (Stormpilot)- Finn and Poe hide in a supply closet while on a mission and things get awkward.

Spice It Up (pre Stormpilot, Coffee Shop AU)- New-to-town Finn has just found a new coffee shop, but gets more than he bargained for when he places his order.

Personal Space (pre Stormpilot)- Finn gets teased about being too clingy with Poe and backs off in a panic, making neither of them happy.

The Request (Finn and Poe, Modern AU)- Finn likes to sing when he cleans. He didn’t know anyone was listening. Or that they might request a song.

Recovering His Appetite (Poe & Finn)- Finn makes a new friend while raving about hospital food, but Poe knows there’s better stuff out there.

Night Thoughts (semi-platonic Jedistormpilot)- Finn’s life has changed a lot since leaving the First Order and he’s very, very happy with that.

What’d I Miss? (Stormpilot)- Poe is watching over Finn in the infirmary and musing over what’s happened. (Slightly more shippy implications but can still be platonic)

Who Needs Sleep? (Stormpilot)- Poe is avoiding sleep in order to avoid nightmares, but his droid and his new best friend won’t let him get away with it. (Can be shippy or platonic)

Bath Time (Finnrey)- Nonsexual Acts of Intimacy prompt. Finn and Rey have been put up in a truly astounding hotel suite that includes an enormous tub. They just have to try it out!

Beautiful in Moonlight (Finnrey)- Finn and Rey are on a mission and he’s sure he heard her say he looked beautiful in the moonlight, but she insists that she didn’t say anything.

In a Jam (Finnrey) - Modern AU. Finn has trouble getting a jar open and asks his neighbor for help.

Eyes (Finnrey)- Rey is listening to Finn recount his adventures and is getting lost in his eyes.

Endings and Beginnings (Finnrey)- Finn and Rey have survived their climactic battle and confess their feelings. (kiss prompt)

Moonlight In Our Eyes (Finnrey)- Fic title prompt. A snippet of scene where Rey is setting out to confront Kylo Ren and Finn doesn’t try to stop her, but does have another plan in mind.

Zombie Whamboree (pre Finnrey, Modern AU)- Rey is overtired after a night of marathoning Walking Dead and may have overreacted just a tiny bit when Finn shambled up to her.

Growing Connections (Finnrey, on AO3)- Follow-up to Welcome Home. Finn gets roped into helping Rey train, but what happens afterward gives them both a lot to think about and maybe, in the end, to celebrate.

Homecoming (Finnrey)- Rey is finally coming back after retrieving Luke Skywalker and Finn couldn’t be happier. (expanded version on AO3)

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Gen stuff

Desperate Times - Cracky scene where Padawan Kenobi doesn’t have access to tea, so makes do at a Space 7-11.

Shatterpoint Shuffle (Part 1) (Part 2) - Based on other peoples’ fun ideas, this is a story about Padawan Mace Windu and Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is the only person who can see the “ghosts” of the clones who keep him company.

A Lost Life Revealed - A more in-depth speculation on what Obi-Wan’s life might have been like if he’d stayed on Melidaan.

Daemonized - His Dark Materials AU explaining why the clones don’t have daemons.

Third Time’s the Harm (on AO3) - Based on a title prompt from norcumii, this is an expansion of a very cracky story about Fox’s cat vs. the Chancellor.

Mischief & Misinformation (on AO3) - A “canon” explanation for Obi-Wan’s grueling Legends padawanship.

Sometimes It’s the Little Things - Leia cries out on the Death Star and the Force answers.

Who Guards the Guard? (on AO3) - the Guard, against Fox’s will, acquires their own Jedi: Master Archivist Jocasta Nu. The universe may never recover. Fox’s nerves sure won’t.

For Fox’s Sake (on AO3) - Fox week 2021 prompt fills.

A New Way (on AO3) - Another short piece on Boba helping Din sort out his identity post-S2.

Mandalore the Reluctant (on AO3) - A couple of short pieces about Din fighting against his inevitable future as the Mand’alor. (written prior to S3)

Resol’nare - Boba teaches Din about the core tenets of being a Mando.

Sanctuary - Jocasta knows there’s an intruder in her Archive, but the culprit is much smaller (and less willing) than she expected. (Archivist Maul AU)

Fox vs. the Zillo Beast - Fox is having a Bad Day. Again.

A Legend Grows (on AO3) - Din goes to Mandalore to complete the stupid cleansing ritual and comes away with more than he bargained for. (written prior to S3)

A Week of Glory (on AO3) - Written for Commander Cody Week 2021. Focuses on Cody as an individual character.

Walking a Different Path A quick AU that imagines another outcome for Obi-Wan when his Master claims a new Padawan right in front of him.

Rescue & Repercussions An AU that sees Qui-Gon’s first Padawan, Feemor, coming to the rescue of not one, but two Force sensitive younglings in need of some TLC. One has close ties to his former Master and the other will be an amazing headache for everyone.

Commander’s New Padawan Set in the Crechemaster Obi AU, but focusing more on a young Cal Kestis and Commander Nimble.

Security Breach Commander Fox did NOT need the chaotic entity known as Trix Hunter dropped into his life and he certainly didn’t need the kittens or the assassination plot she brought with her.

Partaylir - Confronted with being a “dad,” the Mandalorian remembers his own childhood and hopes the foundling has a brighter future.

Jedi Fanclub (Kit Fisto) - It turns out Obi-Wan isn’t the only one who can make young fans blush.

A Learning Experience - A very young Maul is given a mission by his Master: Infiltrate the Jedi Temple and come back out again. No one warned him of the temptation within.

Jedi Interference (Mand’alor Maul AU) - On an intelligence-gathering mission, Jedi Knight Issa winds up helping to save the Mand’alor and a young boy named Boba. (An AU where Surge Squad never existed to save him, so Maul did.)

The Mand’alor’s Brother (Mand’alor Maul AU) - Maul rescued Boba from prison because the boy’s hatred of the Jedi rivaled his own, but there may be more worth to him than that.

Repercussions (Obi-Wan)- Obi-Wan learns a hard lesson about why false surrender is a war crime.

Paws for Thought 2 (Obi-Wan, 212th) Wrangling kittens isn’t easy, but Obi-Wan manages to get them back to camp.

Paws for Thought (Obi-Wan, 212th) Obi-Wan touches a Force artifact and finds his hands full when his troopers are turned into kittens.

Broken (Obi-Wan) The Rako Hardeen plot damaged far more than it helped. As a result Obi-Wan starts to question things. (the original non-shippy basis for Unintended Consequences)

A Tangled Web (Sidious) for Spooktober: Darth Sidious finds more than he expected while exploring the temple of a banished ancient Sith Lord.

Insomnia (Finn) After events in TFA Finn is having trouble sleeping.

What If... Jango Raised Boba? (Boba, Jango) Jango avoids death on Geonosis and decides his priorities need changing.

Planting the Seeds (Obi, Rex, Cody)  Agri Professor Obi-Wan  talks politics before the Senate and then tries to talk defection to a couple of clone troopers.

What If... Obi-Wan Was a Wookiee? (Obi-Wan) Bruck Chun still harasses “Arriwarr” and Arri still has a tendency to fight back, but he also extends that protectiveness to other bullied initiates.

What If... Obi-Wan Stayed on Melida/Daan? (Obi-Wan) When Obi-Wan asks to return to the Temple after Melida/Daan his request is rejected. He finds his own way out and winds up on Alderaan where he accidentally starts a school for Force sensitives.

What If... Obi-Wan Joined the Mandos? (Obi-Wan) En route to Bandomeer rejected Initiate Obi-Wan’s ship winds up on Mandalore instead and decides to stay.

Half a What Now? (Ahsoka and Maul, on AO3) The saltiest of salty fics where Ahsoka gets called out on her ableism during a fight with Maul.

Unfamiliar (Kit FIsto)- With Obi-Wan unavailable Kit Fisto is forced to take on the unfamiliar and unwelcome mantle of negotiator. Things do not go according to plan.

Storm (Zeb Orrelios)- After the war Zeb watches a storm and contemplates his life.

The Wandering Knight and the Doppels of Kamino (Plo Koon)- Fantasy AU with Plo Koon as a mystical knight faced with a small dilemma on the isle of Kamino.

Forgotten (Maul)- Maul is tormented by ghosts on Malachor and questions if anyone remembers him.

Different (Chewbacca) Sometimes being an alien in a human-dominated space can make even the simplest tasks difficult.

Mauve (Obi-Wan) First line +5 sees Obi-Wan lamenting a change in his appearance.

I Quit (Leia)- First line +5 prompt has Leia ready to stab someone and deciding instead on a life-altering course of action.

Tiny General, part 2- more misadventures as Obi-Wan goes missing only to turn up with an unlikely captive.

Tiny General, Part 1- pure fluffy crack as Cody and the 212th have to deal with a de-aged General Obi-Wan.

The Bad Bet (Fives, on AO3)- Clone Trooper Fives learns that sometimes winning can be even worse than losing.

Death from Above (Finn) Finn was just trying to get some fresh air when he was attacked by an airborne monster. It doesn’t help that Poe is laughing at him.

Time to Change (Maul)- based on the-last-hairbender’s post musing on what might happen if Maul traveled to the future and was confronted with the First Order.

What is Your Excuse? (Bodhi Rook)- Bodhi has had enough of people questioning his loyalties. (sentence prompt, 5 sentence fic)

Fulcrum’s Fall (Kallus) A pessimistic take on what might have befallen Agent Kallus after events in Through Imperial Eyes. Spoiler: the ending is not a happy one. (written before we found out)

Stop the Clock (Bodhi Rook)- Fic title prompt. When Bodhi sees the grenade, time seems to stop and he sees all the ways things could go wrong. And one way they might not. Everyone Lives AU because fuck you, Rogue One.

Through the Darkness (Kylo Ren, on AO3)- Picks up where Beyond Salvation left off. Kylo and his companion have escaped the Finalizer, but they aren’t safe yet. Kylo’s troubles become even more profound when they team up with an obnoxious smuggler by the unlikely name of Trix Hunter. 

Beyond Salvation (Kylo Ren)- Kylo Ren gets no sympathy after Starkiller, not even from the voice in his head, but when he finds a very personal secret is being kept from him he may have to investigate. What he discovers makes him question his place in the First Order.

Choices (Kylo Ren)- Kylo’s fight with Rey (and events before that) has left him injured and emotionally rattled. Maybe now someone can finally talk some sense into him.

Free (Finn)- As word of FN-2187′s defection spreads through the ranks there could be some unexpected side effects.

[anamelesstraveler]

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Hearts in atrophy.

A SniperPilot fanfic. Rated M.

Chapter 1/? | 3,824 words

After his torture at the hands of Saw Gerrera and Bor Gullet, Bodhi finds remembering difficult. Memories are like the Jedhan sands through his fingers. He forgets places he'd been, people he'd loved, things that he enjoyed before his defection.

He forgets Joreth Sward.

This story includes

memory loss, Bodhi dealing with the aftermath his torture, Cassian making poor choices and being self-sabotaging, everybody lives/nobody dies AU, different first meeting AU, undercover meeting AU, background Chirrut/Baze, and team as family.

ALRIGHT here we go. My contribution to the wonderful SniperPilot fandom. Y’all are so wonderful!

Chapter 1

Something isn't right, babe I keep catching little words but the meaning's thin I'm somewhere outside my life, babe I keep scratching but somehow I can't get in

--------------------1---------------------

Being tossed into a Partisan cell had not been part of the plan, but Cassian can work with that. Jyn is missing - either talking to Saw Gerrera or being tortured by his soldiers. Kay’s failed to check in with him upon returning to the ship. And Cassian is locked in a cell with two bickering Jedi era castoffs--

But he can work with that.

The Partisans are immersed in their game across the room, or spread out watching the holovids, giving Cassian more than a few minutes to feel around the door panel, stealthily loosening the seams and mentally mapping out the internal mechanics. Cassian can have the door open in no more than a few well placed pulls, with the proper diversion. He has at least four ideas for that already; two of which include the charges hidden along his belt and in the seams of his coat.

“Who’s the one in the next cell?” Chirrut’s voice shatters his focus for the third time since they’d been thrown this cell. Cassian barely spares him a glance and tunes out Baze’s responding question. This, at least, is better than the bickering. (The bickering had lasted for most of the first hour, and by the end of it Cassian had been sure it was more for entertainment than an actual argument.)

But Cassian can’t ignore Baze’s snarl of, “An Imperial pilot!”

His head whips up, all semblance of stealth forgotten at the menace in the older man’s voice. “What?”

Baze is already lunging towards the bars. “I’ll kill him.”

Cassian is on his feet before his mind finishes processing the situation. “Stop!” he orders. He follows Baze across their cell, is able to grasp his arm before he can reach through and throttle the figure slumped against the bars on the other side. Cassian doesn’t hear his own words, fast and hissed under his breath. His carefully laid plans have been thrown into chaos in only a few short seconds. The pilot is still here. If they can extract the pilot, they may not need Saw Gerrera at all. “We need him!” Cassian growls, shoving insistently at Baze until he can insinuate himself between the larger man and the bars. “We came for him. We need him.”

The rage still sparks in his dark eyes, but Baze relents. He casts one last murderous glare at the shape on in the other cell before stomping back to Chirrut’s side. Cassian understands the bitter hatred towards the Imperials - the righteous fury of the occupied. He understands the itch against the trigger whenever one is in sight. Cassian understands better than he likes to consider. But if this is the defector, then they need him.

The Rebellion had never even hoped that the pilot would still be alive after being in Saw’s hands for any length of time. Saw Gerrera isn’t and has never been the type to take prisoners if he can help it. Cassian peers down at the heap. “Hey,” he calls. “Are you the pilot?”

The figure doesn’t move.

Cassian swallows back a curse, and kneels down closer. The pilot sits in the shadows of the next cell, unmoving but for the tiniest twitch of his chest. Silent but for the slightest rasp of breath. With each passing second, the dread only grows worse.

The pilot is broken. Death might have been preferable to whatever Saw put the man through.

Cassian calls to the other prisoner again. This time the man stirs, his entire body trembles and he twitches a little further out of the shadows. Cassian can better make out the shape of shoulders and jawline. The hint of a profile - of dark hair matted with dirt and sweat, the gentle curve of his nose.

And Cassian’s heart drops into his feet. The face on the other side of the bars is one he’s forced himself not to think about - one of too many. But this one, this one is different. More.

‘It wasn’t supposed to be you.’

But aloud he says: “Bodhi?”

--------------------2---------------------

Nothing and everything exist all at once. Bodhi has existed in nothing and everything for… how long? Time meant nothing to him. Shreds of memories swirl by him, flicking flames - one moment there and gone the next. They are splinters of glass that sting and crumble into cutting slivers if he reaches for them; if he tries to hold them immobile for too long.

But still Bodhi tries. He holds them so carefully in his mind, even though the pain makes spots dance before his eyes, even though it makes the floating, cast adrift feeling worse. He tries to put the memories back together. In some kind of order or function. But all Bodhi can think is that he’s going to come out wrong if he doesn’t put the memories back together right. That everything that makes him is going to come out jagged and distorted.

“Bodhi?”

Yes, that’s his name. Bodhi. There’s a Bodhi here, holding his mother’s hand as they walk through crowded streets. The tide rushes by, people moving faster, pushing. This way and that. Running from something - or to it? This Bodhi is small and can’t see past the sea of bodies. All he can do is curl into his mother’s side and hold on.

“Bodhi, can you look at me?”

A fragment of another Bodhi sitting around a table with other recruits in their Imperial white-and-grays. They laugh and joke and uncoil from the gruelling day of classes and simulations and drills. He smiles, and doesn’t think about how they will all become the same people that invaded his home. He can’t think about that. Because without friends Bodhi will not survive this and the Empire knows it.

Are they the same Bodhi? He can’t tell anymore. He can’t see where the child becomes the Imperial. They are two different lifetimes inhabiting one person.

“Ensign Rook. Are you the pilot?”

“I’m… I’m the pilot.”

“Yes. Yes, good, good. Bodhi, do you have the message?”

“The…” This is important to him. Bodhi knows, oh, he knows that, but his mind can’t draw the memory up. He sifts through the shards, the broken memories stabbing like a thousand knives. The message.

The message! Galen’s message. Galen who had looked at him with hope and despair and said, “You can do this. You’re so much braver than I ever was, Bodhi. I would trust no one else.”

Had Galen known? Had Galen known what Saw Gerrera would do to him - had he lied and sent Bodhi into the monster’s den?

“I brought the message from Galen. From Eadu.” The world comes back to him in increments. The pain becomes sharper. Not just in his head. Throat parched and chest sore (from what - from screaming for help? For someone to listen?) Limbs stiff and bruised from being dragged by his captors. From the manhandling and from sitting motionless in the dirt. Bodhi turns suddenly, his limbs disjointed - a battered marionette flashes before his mind, from one of the festival shows, tumbling into a heap as the wires are go slack. He grasps the metal bars with all the strength he has left; stares into the dark eyes on the other side. “I brought it. The message. I defected-- you have to. You have to get the message. For Jyn.”

“Jyn?” The eyes are attached to a thin, sculpted face. Sharp cheekbones. A slightly crooked, bold nose. A mouth that curls around the name.

“Yes. Jyn. Need to… it’s for her.”

“For Jyn. Not for Saw Gerrera?”

“For the Rebellion. For Jyn.” Bodhi isn’t sure if it’s just him or the world around him that trembles with the his words. “You have to tell them!” His voice cracks dangerously. He breathes in dust that makes his aching lungs spasm and his world sways. The whole room sways - definitely shaking, not just in his head.

“Yes, I’ve got it,” the man on the other side says, hurried but gentle. “Stay there. We’re getting out.”

Bodhi slumps against the bars, the strength seeping out of him. He’s done it. He’s delivered the message. Galen’s message. He’d braved defection and extremist guerrilla fighters and that thing. He can… he can rest, now, right?

There’s a commotion outside his cell, a low, slowly growing rumble and the sound of people running. Bodhi can hear things skittering off of tables and out of their precious nooks, shattering on the floor. Chaos. Can’t he just rest - for even a moment?

“Ha, yes. Yes! You see, the door!” a laughing voice rises above the din. “You just have to to have faith--”

“Just go!” says another in a rough snarl. It’s the second voice that jars Bodhi out of his daze once more. Because after what only seems like a moment later, he hears it again. Closer. “Pilot.” Bodhi lifts his heavy, aching head.

Not to see a person, but the barrel of a repeater cannon.

“No, no please--” He’s too tired to scramble to safety. The bolt nearly deafens him. But the pain doesn’t come.

Instead the door sparks and slides open. The towering form on the other side reaches down and grabs Bodhi by the arm, hauling him to his feet. Pain flares up his shoulder, a sound like a wounded animal wrenching past his lips. The grip on his arm, the looming man with wild hair and a harsh face, eases for only a moment. “Go,” the man commands. “Before I reconsider just shooting you, Imperial.”

Bodhi is shoved forward, though with less force than when he’d been pulled from the dirt. The other man - Bodhi’s height, slimmer than his partner, neat, short hair, too pale eyes - steadies him with a hand at his elbow. Bodhi knows he’s led through crowded tunnels that quake around them, crumbling as they pass by open corridors, but the journey is a blur. He stumbles after his rescuers, listening to the chaos around them and the almost gentle buzzing of the device hooked to the blind man’s sash as they pick their way through the tunnels. Bodhi is bumped and jostled as people run past, and finds himself not in a collapsing catacomb--

--but in the streets of Jedha once more. It is not the blind man tapping at the path in front of him holding his arm, but his mother. And Bodhi is small again; clutching her hand even though her grip hurts. It hurts, but the thought of being lost in the crowd is more terrifying than the pain, so Bodhi huddles close. It’s festival time in NiJedha, and the grand thoroughfares are packed with locals and pilgrims alike. The city’s Holy Quarter will be lit up like a city of a thousand stars in the night. Bodhi is only six, but he’s already been instilled with a sense of pride in his city. There is nowhere in the galaxy more beautiful than NiJedha during festival time--

The memories flickers back out of existence. Bodhi’s standing with the cold Jedhan sun on his skin, but it’s being rapidly eclipsed by a torrent of rock and ash that was once the only bright spot of Bodhi’s life.

NiJedha is gone.

Bodhi’s delivered his message. Too little, too late.

--------------------3---------------------

“He looks different.”

Cassian snaps out of his daze, turning away from the communications array with a sharp: “Don’t.” He casts a hasty glance into the cabin, fearing someone heard them. The area beyond the cockpit is silent, however. Silent and still, despite the four downtrodden occupants. The rush of hyperspace and everyone’s own thoughts seem to cover Kaytoo’s words well enough.

From the pilot’s seat, Kay continues, unrepentant. “It has been a few years. Perhaps his hair is longer. Or perhaps it’s the torture.”

“Kay!” Cassian hisses.

“What?” Kaytoo swivels his head around. Cassian knows better than to think he’s taking his attention away from the controls. What looks like a narrowing of the droid’s eyes to an organic is actually Kay focusing his scanners. “You are distressed.”

Cassian’s mouth twitches, a barely aborted grimace. There are too many answers to that. “I’m fine, Kay.”

“Given previous data, there’s a 83.9% probability that you are lying.”

‘Only 83.9%?’ he thinks, but refrains from saying.

“Is he angry with us? Is that why you are distressed?” Kaytoo asks. His eyes don’t stray from Cassian as he speaks, he doesn’t glance into the cabin or otherwise gesture to indicate to man in question-- the defector-- Bodhi. The defector is Bodhi.

Cassian thinks again of the pilot’s frantic expression back in that cell; the glittering, feverish eyes. The complete lack of any recognition whatsoever. A chill runs down his spine all over again. “He… didn’t recognize me,” he admits at length.

The droid has no eyebrows to raise, but by the uptick in his vocabulator, they would be if Kay had any. “He didn’t? That is improbable, given--”

“Kay…”

“The amount of copulation--”

Cassian resists throwing the nearest available object at his partner. But only barely. “Quiet, Kay.”

“Would you rather I call it filthy organic relations, then? Or fucking? I believe that’s the colloquialism in Basic, isn’t it?”

He glares, rather than answer. Not that it intimidates Kay any. He pulls himself from his seat. “Just… listen for an answer from the general.”

“Of course.”

The cabin is oppressively silent as he enters. No one looks up, though Cassian doesn’t expect them to. Jyn remains crumpled in the chair at the center of the cabin, seemingly unmoved since Cassian had shoved her into it on Jedha. She stares resolutely at the hands dangling between her knees. What her thoughts are, he can’t even begin or want to guess. (It’s trouble either way. She’s going to be trouble whatever her thoughts. She’s likely going to be his death soon enough. Cassian knows this, and yet the notion of leaving her behind on Jedha had been so repulsive that in that moment it had been unthinkable.)

The Guardians are easier to read. While their faces are impassive, Baze gazing at the bulkhead across the shuttle and Chirrut with his eyes closed in silent focus, the air of grief that hangs around them is impossible to miss. It’s something so profound that it needs no words.

Jedha is gone. A whole city obliterated in a flash of light and fire. Possibly the entire moon itself. Cassian had been too consumed with getting them out alive to stop to wonder. Had the entire moon broken apart in the wake of the Death Star’s attack? Or had they left behind the smoking wound that would eventually turn the moon rotten, devoid of life? Either answer is… horrifying.

There’s a tiny, treacherous thought at the back of Cassian’s mind, wondering in insidious whispers if they’re to blame for the attack. If they had been smarter, had stayed out of line of fire, if they could have avoided the Empire’s heavy handed response.

He’s not sure if that thought is more or less painful than looking at Bodhi right now. The pilot, like the rest of them, hasn’t moved since sinking into a seat near the wall. But he’s far from motionless. He sits staring at his restless fidgeting hands, lips moving around words that Cassian can’t hear. His expression is twisted in such guilt and pain and loss, incapable of hiding anything. Not for the first time, Cassian questions how such a man could survive under the Empire.

But that’s the answer, then: he can’t.

“I defected!” Bodhi had cried desperately from behind the unforgiving metal bars.

“I hate them.” A fervent confession in the dark. Bodhi tenses the moment the words leave his mouth. Even as close as they are, curled together in the too-small bunk of Bodhi’s shuttle, it’s too dark to see more than the flash of fear that goes through his eyes. The barest hint of a grimace around his mouth.

Cassian Andor, Intelligence Operative of the Rebel Alliance - Cassian Jeron Andor, formerly of Fest - would have seized upon those words. His heart would leap. He would have to swallow back the hope, the truly worrying rush of affection, and the desire to convince Ensign Bodhi Rook, Imperial Cargo Pilot, formerly of Jedha, to take that final leap and follow him away from this hell.

But he has not been Cassian Andor for several months.

Joreth Sward, Imperial Officer and assistant to Admiral Grendeef, only gestures at their naked, entwined forms. “No uniforms,” he reminds the pilot gently. And even Joreth Sward has to smother the twinge of guilt as Bodhi’s shoulders slump in relief. Because here Bodhi thinks they are just Bodhi Rook and Joreth Sward. That’s the agreement between them: when the uniforms come off, the Empire gets left at the door.

“I hate them,” Bodhi repeats.

But even this promise is a lie--

Cassian shakes himself from the memory, ignoring the sick turning of his stomach. In the few moments the memory has stolen his focus, Chirrut has risen to his feet. His staff taps quietly against the seats as he moves across the cabin and sinks into the one across from Bodhi. The pilot doesn’t appear to notice.

“Are you with us, my young friend?” Chirrut speaks softly. “You seem far away.”

Bodhi twitches, his eyes locked on his hands. He’s trembling, now that Cassian looks closer. Something in his chest squeezes painfully, and he ruthlessly shoves it back into the farthest corner of his memory - where it should have stayed forever.

Chirrut frowns, and leans closer on his staff. “Can you tell me your name?”

“B-Bodhi…” Bodhi’s throat works. “Bodhi Rook.”

“Alright. Bodhi. You are on a shuttle. We are in hyperspace, by the sound of it.” Chirrut’s voice is even and soothing. “It is 35:1:24 by the standard calendar. It is… the third day of the Month of Red Skies on Jedha.” The calm mask cracks for only an instant, an expression of such sorrow passing over the Guardian’s face. But he does not correct his slip. “You are safe, Bodhi Rook. You are here.”

“I’m… I’m here.” The dark-haired pilot takes a shaking breath. “I’m here.”

“Yes. You are here.” He cocks his head, seeming to listen to the other man breathe for a moment. What he’s actually sensing, Cassian doesn’t know. Especially when his smile turns solemn. “You’re from Jedha?”

“Yes,” Bodhi answers mournfully.

“Would you like to recite the Chant with me?”

Bodhi’s expression wilts even further, if such a thing were possible. “I-I don’t…” His hands begin to fidget again, with a distinctly distressed tremble.

Cassian edges closer, feeling even more like an intruder with ever half-step. “Bodhi,” he interrupts, keeping his voice low and neutral. Bodhi startles, his head whipping up and his gaze darting before focusing on Cassian. The flash of fear is enough to make Cassian regret it. Again there is not a trace of recognition there. Cassian may as well be a stranger to him - a stranger that Bodhi isn’t sure won’t hurt him. That is… no. Cassian cannot let himself think about that past observation. If he does, he’s likely to go insane with guilt and grief. “We may be heading to Eadu next,” he explains. “Are you well enough to help us get there? To Galen’s lab?”

‘How can you not know that it’s me?’ He curses himself even as the thought plays over and over again in his head. There are more important things at stake. 

“I… I think I can.” The pilot clears this throat and lowers his eyes shamefully. “Not everything is… it’s… fuzzy right now. A lot of things are.” He lifts a hand, motioning at his temple. “I-It’s hard to remember. But I’ll try.” He draws himself up, a burst of determination smoothing out his nervous expression. “Yeah. I’m sure I can.”

“Of… of course,” Cassian manages to agree. His mind is preoccupied, playing Bodhi’s words over and over again. “I’ll let you know when we’re coming up on Eadu.”

“Thank you, um…”

“Cassian,” he supplies, feeling horribly off balance like he hasn’t felt in years. “Cassian Andor.”

‘He doesn’t remember.’

“Cassian,” Bodhi repeats. “Thank you. For um, for getting me out of there.” And damnit, it should not feel like something sharp is being stabbed between his ribs at only a word.

It’s the first time Bodhi has ever said his name. His name. A few years ago, that was a wild, unattainable dream.

Now it’s a nightmare.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he mutters, before taking his leave.

As he heads back into the cockpit, Cassian hears Bodhi take a steadying breath and turn to Chirrut with renewed strength. “Can you help me with the Chant? I might remember it if I go through it with you.”

Kaytoo watches him slide into the pilot’s seat, his silence expectant. Cassian knows better than to wonder if the droid had been listening. “Any response from headquarters?”

“Yes. We are to continue with the mission as ordered.”

“Understood,” Cassian grunts, feeling like the ice of Fest’s coldest winters has slid into his belly. It’s not the cold focus or even the anxiety that he usually experiences at the crest of a mission. No, this is dread. It’s the same icy knowing as when he found himself staring down at Tivik as the man gasped out his last breath.

It’s the knowledge that this mission is going to change him forever. Damn him forever.

“You didn’t tell him,” Kaytoo says, pitching his vocabulator low.

“We’re not going to tell him, Kay.”

“We’re not?” Kaytoo glances out the viewport and back, a gesture that is all personality and little function. “And what if he asks? You want me to lie to him?”

Cassian winces. The memory of the droid (poorly, horrendously) attempting to lie his way past the stormtroopers is still fresh in his mind. As is the bruise blooming on his cheek. “You’re an awful spy. How did that happen? I programmed you to be a spy.”

“You programmed me to be your intimidation, Captain. To be your muscle and statistical support. I am not meant for intricate subterfuge. That is your expertise. Why are we not telling him?”

“It’s not important now, Kay.”

“I’d expect it would be very important to him, actually.”

What would it matter? In a few hours they will either all be dead or Jyn will kill Cassian when he completes his mission. There will be no time to tell Bodhi anything, much less the time he will need to explain what happened… in a way that Bodhi will not hate him.

Kaytoo seems to read his silence well enough. “This is an inadvisable course of action. A stupid plan.”

“Noted.”

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

END CHAPTER 1.