#because Firmus deserves it

[musewrangler]

“I trust you are getting whatever you need?” I asked. I felt suddenly insecure. These men had been subject to horrors I could not imagine and here was the privileged aristocrat in their midst with no precise idea of what they could really use. What might be helpful to them after the darkness they had survived.

The one with the eyepatch grunted a bit and folded his arms across a broad chest. “Depending on what you mean by ‘need’,” he growled, “I would say I need to get lost years of my life back. But yes, Your Highness, we have what we require at the moment.”

“No need to be rude to a lady, Wolffe,” said the first man chidingly.”She didn’t do this to us.”

“I hope it has been explained,” I said, keeping my gaze unflinchingly on Wolffe, “that you are slaves no longer. That we intend to aid you to reach wherever you wish once we return to Naboo.”

“It was,” said the last man curtly. His hair was curlier than the other two and he was perhaps an inch shorter. A little grey flecked his temples, though he did not appear older than the others to my eye.

“Good,” I answered a little awkwardly. “I ah…I wondered what you might be able to tell me about how you came to be in the hands of slavers. You are Mandalorian, correct?”

[winterinhimring]

Okay, for the 10 characters ask game: Kal Skirata, Ahsoka Tano, Aragorn, Firmus Piett, Captain Rex, Natasha Romanoff, Maedhros, Sabine Wren, Peter Parker (your preferred version), and whichever Hornblower character you choose

Ooh, this is a good list! Let's see how it goes. (Ten characters ask game is here.)

Marry: Aragorn. Do I even need to put my reasoning for this? He's awesome, emotionally stable, and not prone to tragic canon deaths.

Drink tea with: Firmus Piett. Heaven knows that man needs a nice mug of tea and some normal conversation.

Party with: Sabine Wren. I'm pretty sure her idea of a party would involve blowing up Imperial bases and I'd love it.

Kiss: I will give MCU Peter Parker a forehead kiss because he is an adorable child and extremely adoptable, and also he needs some affection in his life.

Go out on a date with: Natasha Romanoff, but in a platonic girls-night kind of way. I fully subscribe to the fanon that she enjoys watching spy movies to critique them and I think it would be fun. Also I bet if I asked nicely she'd give me some tips about hiding knives in unexpected places.

Push down the stairs: Ahsoka Tano, because she's a Jedi and she can just catch herself with the Force. Sorry Ahsoka!

Slap: Maedhros. I will feel very bad about this, but he does deserve it and I'll apologise promptly.

Invade the dreams of: Horatio Hornblower, because it would be amusing to watch Mr. Totally Rational cope with someone showing up to his dreams and chewing him out for being rude to his friends, and also he needs said chewing out.

Take a nap with: Captain Rex, in a fully platonic sense, because he needs sleep.

Rob: Kal Skirata, because, like Kanan, he'll probably adopt me if I do. (I loved that that was your reasoning for picking Kanan for this one, btw. It made me chortle.)

This was a blast to try to figure out! Thank you for sending it.

[musewrangler]

Well thank you so much for the tag @rainintheevening! Sorry it's taken a while. Between whumptober and real life I tell ya. xD

Three non romantic duos--- Piett and Veers, Hornblower and Bush, Arthur and Merlin

A ship that might surprise others: Sola Naberrie/Firmus Piett. They walked into my head hand in hand about two years ago and never left. xD

Last Song: Ashoken Farewell

Last Film: Goodness I've been writing like a madwoman so I'm trying to remember what it was...oh yes!! On the plane I FINALLY watched Spiderman: Across the Multiverse and WOW.

Currently reading: The books I teach. Some Elizabeth/Norrington fix it fic because Norrington deserved better. And I confess, mostly reading my own work as I edit all of my stuff personally. I need to read books again. xD

Currently watching: One episode left to watch in the Ahsoka series and I would like to start Loki 2.

Currently consuming: Just finished my homemade chocolate, blackberry, whiskey and cream trifle.

Currently craving: Simultaneously want to go to bed and write on two different fics. When this happens it means I likely ought to go to bed. xD

gently tagging: @afaroffsong @lady-merian @saxifrage-wreath @thehappybaker @mathmusicninja @tolkienreader1996

9 people you'd like to know better

Done this one recently, so I'm changing the questions up. Thanks for the tag @authortobenamedlater.

1. Three non-romantic duos: Anakin & Rex, Nancy & Peggy, Christina & Melanie

2. A ship that might surprise others: Ben/Rey. Except not the way it's done in the movies.😅 There's a bunch of AU versions I've seen in fanart that made me start liking them, and now I have my own AU for them.

3. Last song: 'The Force Theme' by Samuel Kim.

4. Last film: Revenge of the Sith last night with my big brother.

5. Currently reading: lots of SW fanfic, Jedi Trial by David Sherman and Dan Cragg

6. Currently watching: Loki w my sister, Book of Boba Fett w a friend

7. Currently consuming: last thing I ate was a bowl of granola for breakfast

8. Currently craving: to turn my phone off and concentrate on writing for a solid hour. I have a fic to finish.

Tagging @dont-do-rice-babes @stargazer-luna @helloalyss @clawedandcute @kraytwriter @musewrangler @thefinaljediknight @sailforvalinor @ablatheringblatherskite

[anakinskywalkher]

Palpatine raises the twins and accidentally activates Anakin’s dadmodus - An alternative Star Wars plot.

@jasontoddiefor: Palpatine raises the twins & angst w/ Vader not knowing who the two are @dlegohargreeves: im gonna fuck shit up

written together on WhatsApp while listen to crack music.

------

(Barbara) Palpatine has long before he declared himself emperor abandoned the ways of the Sith. He uses them to create utmost loyalty to himself but he will not abide to the rules of his predecessor, one Palpatine would’ve defeated had he been around at that time.  People, be they sith, jedi, or other are all moldable to whatever he wants them to be.

He tricks Padme with sugar and soothed spun words, manipulates Anakin with spice and presses on his rage ("the jedi forbid you from loving your mother thats why you couldnt save her. i would never")  -- Palpatine is aware of the long game, but he has eternity. He’s a god, no one will be able to withstand him.

What Anakin never realised was that he wasnt the actual chosen one, Palpatine had seen in his vision that Anakin's children were in fact the chosen ones, and so when confronted with the soft boy he molded him into this shell to avoid his vision from happening,.... and yet these damnable children are still born. Palpatine is terrified that he wasn’t the only one with the true vision and firmly believes that owning the twins would be the least risky choice. (like he owned anakin, who long ago posed a risk)

He hunts them down, -- while anakin/Vader is completely crippled by his mental breakdown about "murdering" Padme and his child. Palpatine smiles and lets him wallow, for what Vader doesnt know is that Palpatine the God poisoned padme once he found out about her pregnancy.

Palpatine finds them, born hours ago and already pulsing brightly with the power of the force. Obi-Wan puts up a fight but Palpatine strikes him. He gloats to Obi-wan, brags about killing Padme, about manipulating Anakin (”I have taken everything from you, and now I will take your life) and takes the children. He leaves Obi-wan to bleed out by his stomach wound a faraway galaxy          (Palpatine reasons that Obiwan deserves it for this is how he left Vader to die. )

And so Palpatine at the rise of his galactic empire ends up with a crippled sith boy (not a man no matter what anakin thought), and with two babies who are most powerful force users in history. (now were shifting to meta instead of story telling lmao)

Palpatine has a god complex, he doesnt actually believe he would ever die, such petty thing is only for the unfortunate. even if his body would succumb to age, his mind through the force would rule forever -- he is unstoppable. To rule however even a godlike emperor needs tools, and while Vader is to be his guarddog the twins he believe can be shaped and molded into his personal hands, amplify his reach across galaxies.

So to mold them into his tools, Palpatine believes in starving them for love, only ever receiving ounces of recognition and pride. always craving his acknowledgment -- and it works, the twins once old enough to have actual brains (according to palpatine) he removes their wetnurses and gives them teachers, makes their training cruel and harsh and make them compete for his gaze. And it works till a certain extent, but Palpatine’s god-complex makes him blind to things he deems unneccessary, And thus he misses how the mourning of Vader for his family, turns him into a guilt-ridden man who believes giving these children some form of attention and care as penance for his own misgivings. And thus without meaning to Vader gives the children the love Palpatine tries to deny them (accidentally shifting their loyalty on the long run)

Elias: Vader hates the kids at first, with them reminding him of everything he lost and could have had, but at the end of the day, after some aggressive introspection, he gets that they’re just kids and probably starts projecting a lot the longer he’s exposed to them -- Vader, guilty, sneaks them candy and gives them stuff that’s kinda useless (like books that are not about politics or war or economics and and and) and he doesn’t think it’s much but the two would kill a man for him and probably have done so. ((Palpatine tries to break apart the codependent twins, forcing them apart for weeks, but the Force, unlike anything is a tool in hands of desperate children with a bond so strong it connected their mind)) This is not healthy, Vader thought, recalling decade old lessons from the Jedi. The twins rarely spoke, never mind both at the same time. They’re asked for their opinions, echoes of the Emperor’s wishes, and only one of them replies. They always moved at the same time, terrifying weapons of perfect synchrony, constantly aware of the other’s presence. They were living at least half in each other’s mind, even when the Emperor depraved them of contact for weeks. They were clingy afterwards, holding each other’s hands and wrists until they bruised, but Vader knew their minds were never separated. Luke slammed their teacher’s (victim’s) head to the ground as Leia kicked away his feet. They didn’t need any call signs, or training in coordination, one moved and the other followed. During battles, the twins’ dependence was a huge advantage. “Again,” Vader called out and the two of them fell back into the first Kata, the bleeding teacher still lying on the ground.

Barbara: However once the twins are older they need to learn through missions, so Vader has to take them along for missions  (once Palpatine believes they wont connect with Vader) - it starts normal but Vader slowly starts to make the missions longer, gives the kids downtime, lets them free and just engages small talk with them, he can’t face himself if he doesn't let them be actual children. But the twins are suspicious believing theres a catch but Leia, the master mind realises that theres none and so they accept reluctantly, and slowly but surely they learn how to be children under Vader’s tutelage. It takes time and dulling a sharpened blade, but the moment, that first time when the twins laugh and seem actually happy, its that moment that Vader decides, he has to become Anakin again, because these children are his second chance - And so he starts planning.

(insert a bit of crack:

Elias: Firmus: Lord Vader, are we to expect you and the Operatives back tomorrow? Vader: we haven’t finished the mission yet -Leia and Luke like 12 or so, in the background yelling in excitement bc idk they got a game, neither are in uniform- Firmus: Of course )

Barbara: Anakin: "i made sand castles when I was young" Leia: “that structure seems awfully unstable for a house”

But ever since Vader mentions the sand castle, the usually more mature one Leia clings to the idea and while he wishes he could show her, but his suit and wounds cant handle the sand. And when he explains Luke goes " well lets get u a proper suit then" and vader goes " im a moron" (leia in the back: yes duh) So Anakin looks into the treatment he’s still receiving to see if he can make it so that his breathing machine could withstand the sand and realises that Palpatine is actually keeping his body weak, he has no need of the breathing machine because its that actual machine thats poisoning his lungs. So of course Vader does a lowrisk experiment and turns off the machine and he can actually breath fresh air in 12 years (the rage controlling Anakin is one different than those before, for it is ice in his veins instead of fire. And it makes him tactical instead of foolish for once). Soon after that Vader catches some rebel transmission and  finds out that Obi-wan is alive and looking for the twins and its that moment that Anakin 'kills' Vader, believing that Obi-wan can save the twins in a way he can't.

Anakin takes the kids to fight the rebels on Palpatines order but he seizes the chance and instead he shows them his face without the mask (lets ignore the idea that hed be bald bc i hate the uglification of ani) and Leia goes: You look an awful lot like luke Anakin who hasnt actually seen his own image for 12 years, realises that luke is a spitting image of himself as a child, and leia who is glaring at him, he realises, is a carbon copy of Padme. BUT anakin thinks hes projecting and doesnt follow up with it.

Instead he asks them (and for leia this will always be the most important part), he asks them if they wish to stay with Palpatine and do his bidding or to dissapear with him -- and well the choice is easy right, Luke&Leia don’t actually like Palpatine, because despite everything, the force made them sensitive and they feel so much (the despair of the people, the sadness of Vader, the greed of Palpatine)

So they leave for Tattooine, the one place where Palpatine would never look because he never found out that Anakin realised his suit was a boobytrap. The wanted pictures of the twins (both bald shaven and in uniform) nor the one of Anakin (known as Vader, with the helmet)  soon dont match the long haired white dress wearing twins and the blond haired bronzed man.

and so Anakin and the twins go into hiding, but guess whose on Tatooine? Thats right -- ObiWan

[propertyofnikkisthighs]

Sure Feels Right Ch. 6

Taglist: @hllywdwhre, @xxkellsvixen19xx, @desdestiny 

Warnings: None

2019

Lux couldn’t wait to show the boys the work that she had done, but she loved having something to dangle over their heads as well. Rook would hold her hand then try to sneak a peek under the bandage when he thought she was oblivious. Colson just kept asking non stop like a child if he could “please see it”. She needed them to just get on stage so she could have a moment of peace. They even bothered her during the sound check.

“Come on please?!” Rook pleaded trying to lift the bandage again. She really should stop holding his hand when she knew his game, but she really loved holding his hand.

“You will see it right after the show I promise you.” Lux replied sternly “Don’t make me stop the hand holding Rook”

“No fun!” Rook moaned sticking out his bottom lip. He did grip her hand a little tighter, clearly taking her threat seriously which caused her to chuckle. The hand holding wasn’t anything new for them, he had started that fairly early on. It started with him just squeezing her hand in passing, then he would linger for a bit before walking away, and now he would go about his business while holding her hand. She loved it even if it made working slightly difficult.

“Come on dude it’s about time to go on” Colson nodded towards the stage and pulled Lux in to kiss her temple before making his way to the stage. Rook gently squeezed her hand and started to walk away when she pulled him into a hug.

“Kick ass tonight.” She said and placed a kiss to his cheek before walking away. He touched his cheek where he lips had been and rubbed the spot that now felt on fire. He turned to see her high fiving and hugging the other guys and he felt his heart skip a beat. She was amazing, he thought as he made his way to the stage.

Rook looked amazing singing along to “Shout At The Devil”, but she was slightly biased as it was one of favorite songs. She wouldn’t admit it to any of them, but it was also her favorite part of their current set because it showcased the multiple talents of the boys. When Colson had suggested the switch up during the planning of the tour she had been a big pusher for it. Well and Casie who pretty much was the creative force behind this whole album. She made eye contact with Rook as he finished up and ran to get on his drums again and he sent a wink her way. These two were ridiculous, she thought fondly shaking her head.

The show seemed to be ending and Lux hollered along with the crowd to show how proud she was of her boys. Rook and Colson beelined their way to Lux both talking a mile a minute.

“Okay the show is over and we fucking killed it. Present the wrist!” Rook demanded picking her up and spinning her.

“Rook I can’t show you anything up here and you’re so sweaty put me down!” Lux laughed trying to regain her balance after the drummer set her down.

“Sorry sorry” He smiled wide and warm and it gave her confirmation that she had made the right decision.

“Now understand that these tattoos-”

“TATTOOS?! AS IN PLURAL?” Colson interrupted.

“As I was saying,” she continued ignoring the interruption. “They are my choice. I don’t want to hear any negative comments about how I could regret them, hypocrites” They made fun of her last tattoo for weeks because it was a simple rose.

She slowly removed the bandage to show a small set of three tattoos starting at her wrist and going a little down her forearm. An anarchy symbol, the double x’s, and a small rook adorned her arm with words around it that they couldn’t make out.

“Die autem thronus tuus erit firmus” Lux read to them with a smile pulling at the corners of her lips “It means ‘the dynasty will never die’ you know like in “The Gunner”?’

Rook was speechless. Nobody had gotten a tattoo that specifically had him in mind. He was etched into her skin forever right along with the double x’s for EST. She could’ve just done that, but instead she included personal tattoos for him and Colson. 

“Well…...say something” Lux shuffled seeming embarrassed now.

“I...this means so much Lux” Colson began voice cracking a bit before he recovered and flashed a big smile at her “You’re stuck with us for life now”

“You two were always going to be in my heart forever. This is now just a reminder that I have a whole new family for life” A blush crept across her cheeks as she said in so few words that she loved them.

Rook just grabbed Lux and held her in his arms for a little bit. It was probably the tightest hug she had ever received. He was hoping the hug would say the words he couldn’t muster up the courage to say to her. 

“Thank you” he whispered against the side of her head as he pressed a kiss there before letting her go. She was in his heart now forever too and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

2018

Rook was such an idiot. How did he think this wasn’t the most obvious shit? He was horrible at planning.

“You told her to run errands all day and show up ready to go out at nine pm?!” Ash groaned her annoyance palpitable.

“I didn’t know how to get her out of the house!” Rook threw his hands in the air in defence. He had never planned a surprise party for anyone before, what was he supposed to do?

“Could be worse” Colson snickered. “He could have given her a scavenger hunt. Now those things are really obvious.”

“Just cause it could be worse doesn’t mean this is better. Look let’s just hope Lux doesn’t use her brain today and is surprised. I have to go get her cake, please don’t fuck this up. That means you too Pete” and with that Ash was out the door.

“Fuck did I do?” Pete asked looking between Rook and Colson. The boys burst into laughter and continued to set up the house for Lux’s surprise party.

Rook positioned the “Happy Birthday” balloons how Ash had instructed him for people to take pictures standing in front of them. Ash called the friend/photographer they had coming to take pictures early of the set up before drunk people destroyed the house and decorations. The nervous energy in him was building the more time that passed and the less there was to do in order to prepare. It felt as if time were moving too slow and too fast at the same time.

“Stop pacing dude you’re gonna make me sick” Pete laughed from his position on the couch.

“I just want her to feel special and shit, but not overwhelmed.” The party was Rook’s idea initially, however Colson and Ash came up with most of the decor for tonight. He had just seen how much fun she had at Colson’s birthday party and he figured she deserved the same treatment.

“Smoke this and chill the fuck out dude. She’ll love it, this is Lux we’re talking about man.” Colson said having finished rolling a joint for them. Rook lit the end of it hoping that the weed would help calm his nerves.

9:00 PM rolled around faster than he thought it would after they smoked a couple joints. They waited in the house with most of the lights off so that things weren’t too suspicious, but she also wouldn’t be able to see any decorations. They heard her enter the house and shut the front door behind her. All of them holding their breath.

“Hello?” Lux called out flicking on some of the lights.

“SURPRISE!!” Everybody yelled at once earning a squeal and a smile ten miles wide from the small girl. Rook let out a shaky breath and smiled, he had pulled it off.

Lux was trashed. She was giggling up a storm and hugging and hanging on anybody that would let her. Rook alternated between goofing around with Colson and Pete and watching her just interact with people at the party. She was in her element, with people is where she thrived, Rook was so busy thinking about her he didn’t notice her walking in his direction.

“Hey handsome” She slurred giving him a playful smile.

“Hey drunky” He laughed returning the smile. She reached out and grabbed his hand holding it to her face.

“I heard this was your idea” She said quietly.

He gulped. “Yes it was, I thought you deserved a party too. Just like Colson.”

“No one has ever thrown me a surprise party before now” She had a look of concentration on her face and he could hear his heart beating in his ears in anticipation of what she was going to say. She opened her mouth and closed it again deciding against saying what she was thinking.

“Well you keep us alive so I would say you have earned a surprise party.” Rook chuckled “Since you’re usually organizing our parties” He took the opportunity to pull her closer to him in a hug and was relieved when she hugged him back.

“I keep you alive because you guys make me feel alive” She mumbled into his shoulder.

“What was that?” Rook felt his ears getting hot at her confession.

“Mmm you boys are the best thing to have happened to me. Like ever.” Lux looked up at him with glossy, dreamy eyes and he became putty in her hands. If she would have asked for his soul at that moment he would have found a way to give it to her. Then suddenly she leaned back and fixed him with a stare of determination.

“What?” He questioned suddenly uneasy. She smiled wide again and leaned back into the boy wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. She turned her head to the side and placed a small kiss to his cheek lingering for a moment before pulling away from him and making her way back to the kitchen. His cheek felt like it was burning where her lips had been, his hand flying up to touch the spot her lips had been just seconds before. He quickly downed the rest of his beer and went to find Colson and Pete. He had to get this girl off his mind before he made a move and potentially fucked up everything.

[musewrangler]

I could see he was self conscious about all that had been done for him. I understood it.

“No one aboard would change a thing that we did,” I continued.

Piett cleared his throat a little.

“Well. What can I say to that but— thank you?”

He held out a hand and I grasped it.

“It was a pleasure. I only wish we could have saved more people,” I said. “I would remind you as well, Lieutenant, that it was you who battled to survive as well. We all could do only so much. The rest was in your hands. Stubborn, aren’t you?”

He laughed a bit then.

“So I’ve been told.”

“Shocking,” I remarked.

“You don’t have to agree so readily, sir.”

He quirked an eyebrow at me then, and I saw a man with a sense of humor, and that certain… something. That spark of life— of drive and passion. Here , I thought, could be a friend.

“My name is Max,” I told him. I saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

“Ah…you’re also a superior officer, Colonel.”

I grinned and crossed my arms.

“Oh yes. And don’t you forget it. But I’m army. And you’re a naval man, I’m told. So—-not really a protocol issue.”

His mouth quirked upward again.

“Not really sure that is how it works, but ah, thank you. I’m Firmus.”

[mnmovdoom]

I'm sorry, I'm gonna hijack this post. It's 6am and I should be eating breakfast, so you can blame it on the hunger.

Piett was done.

It was one thing to deal with Lord Vader on a daily basis, it was another to deal with Lord Vader and his son. Then there was the top tier, the apex headache as Piett had been learning for the past three weeks.

There was dealing with Lord Vader, and then there was dealing with Lord Vader and clones.

Piett wasn't jealous. Piett was a graceful man and he was graciously glad that the poor clones had been given an antidote to their accelerated aging. The whole thing was benefitial, because having the blond clone around, in addition to young Luke, had greatly improved Lord Vader's mood and safety aboard.

It had also made Lord Vader 173736648594 times more reckless and Piett would forever be haunted by the sight of Lord Vader and his favourite clone swimming outside in the void to manually board enemy ships, much to young Luke's horror.

It was also sitting rather poorly with Piett that his paperwork was disappearing. The blond clone - Rex - didn't even make the effort to cover his theft. Now whenever Lord Vader needed assistance or Intel or someone to vent his angry frustrations regarding incompetent staff, he no longer summoned Piett. Piett couldn't even materialize himself convinently by Lord Vader's side because Rex was already there.

"Look on the bright side, Firmus. You can catch a little break now!" Max said one day, when Piett made the grievous mistake of opening up about his sour mood.

Piett did not catch breaks. Piett caught unfinished/poorly done/stray work and completed it. Piett presented results!

Piett also never snapped at anyone because he had better survival instincts than that, but this blasted clone was slowly pushing him towards unemployment and Piett would not stand for that. So one day he snapped. It wasn't at The Clone, but it was still a clone. He chuckled all the time and the common trooper thought he was an easy target, but the clone - Gregor - swept the floors with anyone. Sergeant Kreel included. Anyway, the clone was usually harmless and his chuckling came from severe head trauma. He deserved respect. He was actually a great fellow. But he also had the energy of a Massiff pup and that day, Piett snapped at him. Gregor wasn't exactly in control of himself, so he burst out crying over having been told to stop bumping his shoulder to Piett.

Every trooper in the vicinity scowled at Piett. They'd all had had a taste of Gregor's Commando training and they all loved him. But a bunch of aggrieved troopers didn't move Piett.

But the other clone, the mean one with the cybernetic eye that terrified even Lord Vader himself, saw it too. Wolffe, was his name. Piett should've had been more concerned when the clone scrunched up his face with vengeful intent and escorted his sniffling brother away, but Piett didn't. He was indeed in a very bad mood.

And then the blond clone came out of nowhere, Jaig-eyed helmet tucked under his arm and kama whipping at his legs as he made a beeline to Piett to lecture him on his attitude regarding Gregor.

Piett did not care. This was his ship and it was being overrun by clones and Lord Vader, the current Emperor, was slowly yet steadily replacing Piett with this Force-damned blond relic. Piett actually called the clone this, in fact he called them all relics and said the Empire didn't need their obsolete services.

Now, Rex was a man who fought his own wars and Piett knew he was one breath away from getting the sermon of his life, but in the blink of an eye, Lord Vader was hovering protectively behind Rex. Piett had forgotten that if one of them was in sight, the other could not be too far.

Oh, Lord Vader was angry, that same old anger that had decimated the crew and that Piett had withstood unflinchingly. But back then Piett wasn't being replaced by """"Commander Rex""""".

"I could kill you if I wanted to, Admiral," Lord Vader pointed out. Oh, now all Piett was good for was to being threatened?

"Yeah? So could Admiral Motii," He was dead already but was a pathetic enough example. "So could a droid. So could a very dedicated Jawa."

The clone was staring at him like Piett was an exotic creature from the Unknown Regions. Lord Vader was rendered speechless and his Threatening Index Finger had dropped from Menacing Level to the Bluff Level he used when trying to reason with Wolffe (and lose).

"You're not special, Lord Vader," Piett snapped, grabbed his caf and stomped away, leaving behind a wheezing Rex and a flabbergasted Emperor. Well, now he knew what it felt like to be replaced and lose status!

It wasn't until hours later that Piett realised he had politely told The Emperor to kark off. Since he would surely pay for his insubordination, Piett decided he would at least go down on his own terms and began to type his resignation letter. That was also when Lord Vader barged into his office, his Threatening Index Finger at Bluff Level.

"You will be friends with Capt-Commander Rex, Piett," Lord Vader demanded, like he had demanded Kreel and young Luke to be friends. Well, that had worked for them, but Piett was neither a kind-hearted young Jedi or a socially awkward SCAR sergeant. "And you will apologise to Gregor, preferably with Wolffe witnessing it."

And because Lord Vader was particularly insufferable as of late, he summoned Piett's datapad with the Force and then crushed it manually:

"And you will most definitely not resign, Admiral. The Empire needs you," Now, ever since young Luke had come along, he had been slowly yet steadily convinced Lord Vader to work through his usually rampaging emotions. The awkwardly stiff stance that he suddenly adopted was a clear indicator that he had rehearsed this with Luke beforehand. "The Executor needs you," A sigh, like this was pointless and Piett was disappointing for not having seen something painfully obvious. "I need you."

Piett would've fallen flat on his backside if only he weren't sitting already.

"But..." The clones. Rex. Rex was obviously replacing him.

Of course, Lord Vader's ability to work through his emotions and hold a delicate conversation was light-years away from Luke's. Hooking his thumbs on his belt, Lord Vader turned around, the crushed remains of the datapad floating back towards Piett.

"Now stop being weird and go back to normal, Admiral. General Veers is particularly concerned about you, " Lord Vader said as he rapidly walked away, his voice becoming lower as distance grew. Yet, Piett still heard him. "And my Empire is large enough for friends old and new."

Vader: I could kill you if I wanted to, Admiral.

Piett: Yeah? So could Admiral Motti.

Piett: So could a droid.

Piett: So could a very dedicated Jawa.

Vader: …

Piett: You aren’t special, Lord Vader.

[musewrangler]

The guards holding me had relaxed their grip and were clearly uncertain about what to do as the terrified horse got closer to our position. They had no desire to be trampled, but equally, they were under pain of death not to let me escape.

Into this moment of their hesitation, another horse crashed right in front of us and a swearing officer slipped from his back and fell to the churned up earth. The horse rolled as well, and my guards let go of me to leap to the sides lest they be crushed or sliced open by the flailing hooves.

I had a fleeting instant to register intent grey eyes before me and a touch of cold steel at my wrists. The ropes parted like melted butter and the officer said one word—-

“Go.”

Then he was gone again, trying to calm his horse, when in reality his efforts resulted in a very unpredictable animal, its back end swinging about and his hooves stomping nervously.

The blood was buzzing in my ears, but this was the moment and I had promised Rilla I would try.

[musewrangler]

Calvinball payment (when hit with the ball, one must go write three sentences on a WIP)

I got hit twice with the Calvinball. Standing there, minding my own business and CERTAIN mutuals got feisty with the throws.

So—-two bits of WIP

From Men and Empires

“I said nothing, General,” Piett responded, careful to use his title out here on the deck.

“You didn’t need to,” Veers growled. “I can see…Firmus. I own that others would bear this status heavily. But you are mine. And have I not made clear that I do not define you by your position?”

Piett wanted to snarl back. He wanted to fight someone. Hells, he wanted to punch Veers in the face. His fury was hot. And how the Roman could not see why he would be so affected made him want to yell.

And from a whumptober WIP

“If they had asked…I would have…told them everything,” he said, shame burning him with the same intensity as the instruments of his torture.

“You don’t know that,” Lunders said immediately.

Chucking the ball around at @kraytwriter and @winterinhimring because they richly deserve it. @afaroffsong @brievel @chaosgoblinhours @fairytale-lights @kanerallels @klarionthewizard @banachtarskiparadox @tolkienreader1996 @mathmusicninja only if they would like to 😉

[musewrangler]

For the fic writer asks: 2, 6 (for a fic of your choice), 26 (I swear I did not make the numbers come out that way on purpose), 36 (I PROMISE I'M NOT DOING THAT ON PURPOSE), and 37 (whew, broke the pattern).

lol. Thank you friend!

Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

All right the top five in order are: angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, drama, action/adventure.

I’m chuckling because yep—-those are SPOT ON. They sum up any given work. 😂😂 I do like a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm from my characters as well.

What’s one fact about the universe of [insert fic] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

In my Star Wars western, it would have been fun to get into Piett’s background and origin but it wasn’t relevant to plot points so I didn’t. However, I head canon that he’s from a Russian immigrant family which came to America in the 1820s and settled in New York. Firmus is a second generation American and proudly joined the US military post Civil War.

Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

Ok both options pain me, but I’d have to go with no dialogue. Because at least I could convey emotion in face and body as I described a situation. I shudder to think about writing like that though! 😂😂

Do you visualize what you read/write?

Absolutely. I can’t not actually 😂 I play things out in my head like a movie. I’ll say dialogue aloud to sound test and even look at my expressions in a mirror to better describe how a character is reacting. I’ll catch myself making expressions I’m describing as I write too😂

And when I read, I have an internal scene playing out. A great author has the right balance of descriptions and dialogue. I have vivid pictures in my head—-years later—-from excellent books I’ve read.

Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

Hmm. Well, I’m truly ok with being small potatoes. I’m well aware that I’m in a more obscure corner of the Star Wars sandbox so by nature I won’t get as much traction.

That being said, I’d like to plug A Star To Steer By. This is my Star Wars British navy AU and I had SUCH fun researching the age of sail and HOW to sail as well as illustrate Piett and Veers in the glorious uniforms of the period. It was so delightful to put all my characters into this time period and it was my first story with digital art as well. I have a lot of happy memories from writing it.

[oh-great-authoress]

Even as a younger Star Wars watcher, before I really got into it, that whole interaction in ESB between Darth Dadakin, Admiral Ozzel, and then-Captain Piett fascinated me.

You could see right away that this seemingly unassuming Captain was someone to watch.

I had always been curious about the Captain whose intelligence and competence obviously exceeded his superior officer’s, who was field promoted to Admiral at nearly the very same moment Ozzel hit the deck, and who survived being in that position until the Battle of Endor.

Not only that, Admiral Piett SAW what was under the legendary helmet—and he didn’t die for that.

The Millennium Falcon, with Luke, got away under his command (granted, through no fault of his own), and STILL, he didn’t die for that.

Darth Dadakin had by this point, killed so many, for so much less.

For God’s sake, he survived a year as Darth Vader’s Admiral!

That he survived all that was deserving of Blorbo status.

Imagine my disappointment many years later, once I got fully into Star Wars, when I saw what canon said about Firmus Piett.

You CANNOT tell me that an officer who was Captain on Darth Vader’s FLAGSHIP, and subsequently, ADMIRAL of DEATH SQUADRON, PERSONALLY promoted by Darth Vader himself, was an incompetent who “shifted blame onto others for his blunders”.

(Sure, Ozzel was Admiral of Death Squadron, but I, and many others, choose to believe he got that position because of Skeevy Sheevy)

So NO, I refuse to believe my Blorbo, Firmus Piett, is anything less than competent, a good leader, and a badass, as @musewrangler and others write him.

Thank you, Kenneth Colley for playing the Admiral with such verve and nuance in such a short amount of screen time, that he stuck in my head, and gave me and so many other writers so much to work with.

When I went to see Empire Strikes Back in an amphitheater, most of the major characters (the main trio, Vader, etc.) got cheers when they showed up on screen. But what surprised me is that Piett literally got cheered twice by the crowd. Once when he first showed up in the movie and another time when he got promoted to admiral. (Though I can’t tell for sure whether the crowd just hated Ozzel that much the second time…) He was the only character that got two rounds of cheering unless you count the second time Leia and Han got it for the “I love you”/“I know” scene.

And that got me wondering why this minor character was so popular. I then immediately went on Wookiepedia and AO3, fell down this rabbit hole and now I have a Piett side blog here and an angsty fanfic in the works.

It’s a strange way to acquire an imp blorbo, but it checks out.