#but of his human friends the rebel crew

[vv-ispy]

I think Venti would understand the Oceanids and their desire to be human a lot

[zarvasace]

I have too many AUs and I'm not overly dedicated to this one but I figured I might as well share what I have of it :) It's a pretty good amount!

LU Space Crew AU

There is some art here!

Most who work the celestial highways long to find a place that they can call home. Most drift between crews and jobs, whether within the Kingdom or without. Some, however, live for the stars and find home is a cramped ship with engines rumbling the ground beneath their feet, and a crew that's almost family.

Those who man the special operations ship Epona are one such crew. Nine bright characters from across the galaxy, brought together through chance, staying together with determination. Though all of them have a home elsewhere, they've found cameraderie on Epona, and none are keen to leave anytime soon.

Epona and her crew are commissioned and funded by, but not officially employed by, the Kingdom. She goes where she will, to urban and rural planets alike, seeking out cells of the Black-Blooded, a mob-like organization that has infested every corner of the semi-united Kingdom. Whether the Director of the Kingdom has secret agendas for the Epona and her crew is unknown.

Time was a Kingdom special officer, trained from a young age. He comes from the planet Kokiri, but is not one of them. He is the only registered member of the alien race known as the Deities—a near-mythical people that adopt permanent forms similar to those they grow up around, identified by colorful markings and blank eyes. Whatever form they end up taking, Deities have unusual strength and kinesthetic awareness, bordering on supernatural. They also occasionally enter battle hazes, in which their abilities are multiplied, but they become dangerous and potentially unable to identify friend from foe.

After a harrowing mission in his youth, Time deserted the Kingdom and lived as a sight-after mercenary for a time, before meeting his wife Malon and inheriting the ranch on the planet LonLon. He was enlisted for the BB mission by an old friend, codename Sheik, who ensured (through dubiously legal means) that his record was wiped clean. He serves as the captain of the Epona and has grown very protective of his little crew.

Warriors was a high-ranking general in the Kingdom's army before his assignment to the BB mission. He is pure Hylian, which is rare, as the Hylian diaspora centuries ago ensured that most Hylians in the present day have other ancestry mixed in. As a pure Hylian, many people find Warriors's presence to be rather uncanny: his hair just a little too golden, his posture just a little too straight, his eyes just a little too sharp, his skin just a little too perfect.

He was instrumental in defeating the Black-Blooded leader Cia in one of the outer Kingdom systems, directing and participating in many of the battles himself. At first, he felt a little lost on the Epona thanks to the fact that he always had Artemis and Impa with him. He serves as the Epona's first mate, overseeing logistical issues such as supplies and schedules.

Twilight was a goat herder on Ordon until he was caught up in the invasion of the Twili rebels, when he worked behind the scenes with the Ordonian resistance group and the true Twili princess to overthrow the rebels and free Ordon entirely. In the process, he discovered that he was not, as he and everyone else assumed, part Ordonian human and part Hylian, but part Ordonian human and part Twili. Due to his ancestry, he has an alternate shadow form and several physical traits that have been growing in prominence since he discovered and has been using his shadow form, traits that make him a bit intimidating to most people (such as blackened hands, tough nails, small fangs, and occasionally glowing eyes.)

Ordon is not officially a member of the Kingdom, but its princess Dusk does her best to keep friendly relations with the Kingdom despite her efforts to stay independent. Twilight volunteered for the BB mission as a bargaining chip that she could use against the Kingdom. He was determined to dislike the Epona, but grew to love her and the crew. He serves as her second mate, in charge of their combat training, weaponry, and together with Warriors (and a vote from the crew if possible), is authorized to override any of Time's decisions or policies.

Sky is, as Warriors is, also pure Hylian, but his demeanor is a bit less uncanny. He grew up on Skyloft Station, which is a massive space station that once hovered over the planet First Hyrule as a place for knights and their families to live and train. The station disappeared when First Hyrule collapsed centuries ago and the Hylians dispersed around the galaxy, assumed destroyed in the aftermath. However, it appeared again a few years ago, out of a huge rip in spacetime. The station now orbits New Hyrule, the seat of the Kingdom. Its people are struggling a bit to adapt to the new era, but many ancestral Hylians are eager for a chance to know more about their lost heritage and culture.

Sky was a teenager when the station appeared in the present day, and won't speak much about the journey. He and Sun are the only ones who know exactly how much they did to get Skyloft Station safely home. Sun didn't love sending him out on this mission, but he wanted to explore! He is the Epona's primary pilot, responsible for navigation and actually flying the ship. He prefers to fly manually, since he doesn't quite trust the new automated systems.

Wild has also dealt with a bit of temporal displacement. He lived on First Hyrule as a trained knight until its collapse in the Calamity. He got himself and Flora out on a small research ship, taking a lot of damage in the process, and leaving Flora to pilot the ship for several years alone as he recovered in an induced coma. She flew out so far that when she came back, centuries had passed on New Hyrule. Unlike most who lived on First Hyrule, Wild is not pure Hylian. He is actually part Deity, lacking the distinctive markings but with very pale eyes and a hint of Deity strength.

He helped with a minor war in the Kingdom's outer reaches, putting him on the Director's radar. Flora now lives quietly on LonLon as an engineer. Wild is the Epona's computer engineer, fixing and updating her internal systems. (And occasionally causing havoc for fun.) (He also cooks. He thinks modern rations are an abomination.)

Four is a bit of an odd case, since he was not born. He was created by Kingdom scientists as a sort of proof-of-concept android made with brand new self-propagating nanotechnology. How and why he gained sentience is a mystery to even him, but he only managed to convince one scientist of it: Dot, who provided a huge distraction and excuses and allowed him to escape. He went back for her and, with the help of a small, kind alien race known as the Minish, managed to win recognition as a person and citizenship in the Kingdom. A certain offshoot of Kingdom scientists headed by Vaati attempted to recreate the success of Four and created Shadow, who lost his body in his fight for freedom. Four carries a chip holding what he hopes is Shadow's soul or something, perhaps to revive him someday.

He often works on himself, both hardware and software, hoping to expand his capabilities and perhaps discover the source of his sentience. His greatest achievement so far has been the ability to split his consciousness and body into four, and only four. The pieces end up fully independent, but rather fragile, and separating can take a lot of energy. Four is not particularly open about his nature, but he doesn't like hiding it. He volunteered for the BB mission in an attempt to find a low-profile occupation where he could work on his own projects and be protected by Kingdom power. He is the Epona's mechanic, somewhat wary of her computers, but he loves the ship and knows every rivet and wire.

Hyrule comes from a very rural planet called Kasuto, known for its frequent natural disasters and dangerous fauna, all things made more common after First Hyrule collapsed. (it is said that Kasuto resonated with the people so far away and mourns even now.) Some of the fleeing Hylians found refuge with the dying Kasitan race, and now the two peoples are virtually indistinguishable. It's a difficult world to live on, and there aren't many Kasitans in total, but their havens are tight and well-defended. Hyrule inherited a lot of the ancient Kasitan survival traits. He looks mostly Hylian, though leaner with longer fingers, but he has a number of subtle traits: eyes that can see much better in the dark (though not as well in the light), flexible keratin plates beneath his skin for an added level of defense, and the ability to go longer than anyone else without food or water. He can withstand and survive a wider range of temperature, pressure, and air quality than most others.

Hyrule fought many of his planet's monsters to help defend its settlements and defeat a tyrannical warlord. In the process, he found... something. Even he isn't sure what it is. But he can now help a body heal faster, he can raise a hand in a storm and channel lightning through his bones, and monsters always seem to find him. On a good day, he calls it a blessing from his planet. Legend suggested him for the BB mission. Hyrule is the Epona's medic and primary explorer, though he takes a support role in more diplomatic situations.

Wind is from a tiny fishing planet called Outset in a small, close-knit system. He is mostly Hylian, though he is also part Zora. His skin is scaly in parts, his eyes big, his teeth somewhat sharp. He has some webbing between his fingers, and as he's grown, he has to trim down the fins on his arms and legs like he does his hair. He learned how to fly a ship at a young age, and learned to swing a sword by necessity.

He found some old First Hylian technology under the ocean where he lived, which sent him on a journey through his system to defeat a wannabe warlord trying to take over. Once he was old enough, he got a job on a cargo ship, hated it, and was recruited for the BB mission by Tetra, his good friend who is (reluctantly) involved in Kingdom politics. On the Epona, Wind is a secondary navigator and an in-between-er, doing whatever needs to be done.

Legend could swear that he's experienced the same time dilation as Wild but in reverse. Trained in the techniques of the Kingdom knighthood but never actually enlisted, Legend grew up on the urban side of the planet LonLon. His parents were native to the planet Kakariko, and he is mostly Sheikah, which makes his form quite malleable. He had to learn quickly how to drastically change his body by force of will alone. Most Sheikah can manage to change their hair colors or height—Legend can mimic appearances very well, and has even mastered much more dramatic transformations, like turning into a rabbit.

Through his uncle, he made a few friends in Kingdom networks, and when Fable needed help, he went right to her rescue. And he's never really been able to stop doing those things. He loves the stars, and when Fable caught wind of the BB mission, she knew Legend would want in. He did. Legend is the Epona's primary face, the talker and the fountain of random knowledge. He's handy in a pinch and comes up with a lot of weird solutions to problems around the ship.

[radiofreederry]

The crew of the Rambler, from our actual play series Star Wars: Tales From the Ramber! Art by my friend @bijillion.

Five years after the Battle of Endor and two years after the ultimate defeat of the Empire in the Liberation of Coruscant, the Rambler is the lead ship of Halcyon Transport Solutions, a transport company based out of Coronet City on Corellia. Having gained a reputation for both legitimate work and grey market smuggling, Halcyon Transport Solutions has been contracted for a job by no less than Chief of State of the Republic Leia Organa herself, a contract that will launch the crew directly into the seedy underbelly of the galaxy...

Janica Halcyon (played by myself): A female human from Corellia. Owner of Halcyon Transport Solutions, and captain of the Rambler. The daughter of two union activists, Janica had radical politics from a young age and became a decorated pilot of the Rebellion, flying in its most prestigious starfighter unit, Rogue Squadron. She left the navy after helping to capture the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya during the Battle of Coruscant, and formed her company soon after. Clever and resourceful, she is often a moderating voice of reason when her crew are getting up to some antics.

Bhuri'Hssyngigg (played by @lakemojave): A female Trandoshan. Raised in the traditional religion of Trandosha as a devotee of the Scorekeeper, Bhuri ventured out into the galaxy to hunt and gain Jagannath points and favor with her goddess. After some time running with a gang of hunters led by fellow Trandoshan Bossk, Bhuri was saved from an assassin droid on Raxus by Janica, and in Trandoshan tradition pledged a life debt to her, much to Janica's chagrin. She has remained by Janica's side ever since, styling herself Janica's bodyguard and copilot.

Ced Saverem (played by @brucebocchi): A male human from Corellia. A career mechanic and tinkerer, Ced spent many years working for the Corellian Engineering Corporation, while also supplying aid to the Rebellion on occasion, having grown to find the Empire disagreeable. After the end of the Galactic Civil War and amidst the Corellian Revolution, Ced signed on with Halcyon Transport Solutions as the Rambler's mechanic, and will never miss a chance to point out how competent he is at his job. The oldest of the group, he is often grouchy and cantankerous, but nevertheless is loyal to the group and unafraid to jump into danger to protect them.

Val Griv'ir (played by @chansaw): A female Bothan. The youngest of the crew, Val signed on mostly out of convenience. The daughter of Rebel intelligence officers, Val was uninterested in serving the Republic and struck out on her own at a young age to make her fortune - as quickly as possible. She gained infamy as a con woman in the Outer Rim, while also dabbling in thievery. Her most recent major heist earned her a bounty from both Black Sun and the remnants of the Hutt Cartel, forcing her to flee onto the Rambler as a ship's hand. She is a frequent source of headache for the rest of the crew, as she has not changed her ways at all and will happily try to pull a scam for some fast credits.

Caitvuna Conu (played by @thottacelli): A female Twi'lek. A native of the planet Ryloth, Caitvuna was active in the fight for her homeworld's freedom as well as the Rebellion, but the Republic's intervention in the Rylothian Civil War and subsequent annexation of the planet soured her on the Republic, and she left it, finding work on the Rambler as its newest crew member. Officially head of security, Caitvuna is an experienced warrior who knows many ways to dispatch an enemy.

R6-GB (NPC): The Rambler's astromech droid, and one of the original members of the crew. While easily distracted and a bit of a coward, R6 is deeply loyal to Janica, the crew, and the ship, and has gotten them out of a jam on more than one occasion. She usually does not join the crew on their adventures ashore, but stays behind to watch and maintain the ship.

You can catch new episodes of Tales From the Rambler and get to know all these colorful characters better streaming every other Saturday! We hope you'll join us as the crew's adventure continues!

[quitealotofsodapop]

The crew listens to Epic: the Musical.

MK's favorite song is Legendary.

Wukong identifies with Just a Man (not that he'll admit it).

Macaque likes Ruthlessness because he's an emo little stinker.

Sandy likes Open Arms (of course).

Tang and Red Son like Warrior of the Mind.

Pigsy really thinks the monkeys should take Luck Runs Out to heart.

Mei likes Keep Your friends close (a fun bop that belies danger underneath, just like her).

I have to be careful binging a new muscial (or in this case Saga) cus I end up playing each song on loop for hours. Opinions might change once the full and finished versions of later sagas are released.

I love all these hcs <3

Im imagining the gang likely sees/listens to Epic on the reccomendation of MK (who's currently on a Greek Mythology hyperfixation), and he gets them all to watch the full play - maybe in the future as a irl performance or film.

"Legendary" is SUCH an MK song. Both him and Telemachus growing up with the stories of someone dear to them and wanting to replicate their success. I could also see him really liking "Warrior of the Mind" with the theme of "some nobody" gaining the favor of a god (reminds you of anyone?) + SWK is infamously the personification of The Mind in Jttw so its a bonus. MK is smiling evily whenever a harsh plot twist occurs and his fam are shocked silent. >:3

Sun Wukong feels targeted personally with how many of the Epic songs remind him of his past. Ofc he starts crying halfway through "Horse and the Infant", and is inconsolable during "Just A Man" - verbally yelling "NO!" at the end. And like Nezha and Sandy is *silent* during Posideon's songs. Is super jazzed during the triumphant Ithaca Saga though! And feels mega catharic during "King" when Odysseus proves that he still rules to the suitors! He tries his best to hide how much the muscial is affecting him.

Macaque is a canon theatre Nerd - so he's already listened to the musical multiple times, but he's uber excited to see the live performance (and secretly bond with his found fam). Is rocking out during "Ruthlessness" and "Done For" in particular, so much so that he's fidgeting and dancing within his seat. He also vibes with "No Longer You" as someone with powers of prophecy. Is really amazed how much Wukong gets into the musical, but in retrospect understands *why*. Him and Wukong accidentally share a glance during "Would You Fall In Love With Me Again" and it gets a little awkward afterwards.

Mei is similarly excited to see anything with her bestie, so she tried her best not hear/see any spoilers ("it's a centuries' old story Mei" "Ssssh!! Dont tell me!"). She was shooketh by how hard the muscial goes. "Keep Your Friends Close" is her fave based on beat alone. She gets delightedly scared and amazed by consistent horse imagery used with Posideon (shameless link to my fave Animatic of "Ruthlessness").

Tang loves himself some historical and mythological adaptations, and is estatic that MK has given him an excuse to go see one! He's not as familar with Hellenic mytholgy as he is with Hindu-Chinese, but he knows enough lore to make the pog-champ face at every foreshadowing/reference. "Warrior of the Mind" really gets to him as a song about valuing your smarts. He also feels really empathetic for Calypso.

Pigsy only went cus Tang begged him. He feels super lost by the deep Greek lore he's missing, but he can get Odysseus's whole thing with trying to get home - but he def identifies more with Eurylochus. "Luck Runs Out" proves this to him. Later on he feels that the second-in-command was justified in having the soldiers rebel against Odysseus after so many losses (who wouldn't after losing all their friends?). Audibly gasps at the end of "Just A Man" - cus who would just do that!? Is a little freaked out by Circe turning the Athenian's into pigs - Eurylochus is depicted as partly-transformed, played by a pig-demon actor who was in super convincing human makeup in the previous sagas. He also gets protective feelings by-proxy seeing Telemachus's situation since the prince reminds him of MK. Is surprised by how much he likes the musical!

Sandy feels betrayed. This isn't like Disney Hercules at all! He does really enjoy Polites message in "Open Arms" and the later moments when the hopeful soldier's outlook is proven correct. He's a little overwhelmed at points though - he get eerily quiet during Posideon's scenes. He sobs joyfully when Odysseus finally makes it home and reunites with his family! :')

Because of this really good animatic/almost child-like depiction of Aelous by gigi; I can def see "Keep Your Friends Close" being Nezha's fave. It reminds Nezha of when he was far more carefree + has a solid lesson on about trust/"forbidden fruit". He also enjoys the more march-like tune of "Survive". He does however, freeze when he listens to Posideon's songs "Ruthlessness" and "Get in the Water" - he has been on the bad end of a sea god before and is quietly shtting himself for Odysseus.

Red Son goes in feeling like he could have stayed at home listening to the musical on his phone while working on a car instead. He is however blown away by the heavy themes and performances, especially "Warrior of the Mind" and Telemachus's situation - a prince forced to grow up fatherless and protecting his mother from suitors due to his dad pissing off a higher power? Hello?? Accidentally shrieks "YES!!!" when Athena becomes Telemachus's mentor/friend after "Little Wolf".

Princess Iron Fan I could see loving any song including Penelope (she empathizes with the Queen's situation hard), but unexpectedly enjoys "Keep Your Friends Close" - she's a fellow Wind Goddess at her core. It also reminds her of her not-so-little-anymore nephew.

DBK on the flip side loves the heavier songs like "Polyphemus" and "Ruthlessness". This man is a Posedion apologist. He does feels bad for Odysseus by the end though - man just wants to get back to his wife and kid dammit!

Bonus: The Spider Gang are watching the bootleg and Spider Queen agrees with Circe's whole girlboss attitude especially "Puppeteer". Scorpion Queen is Calypso in "Not Sorry For Loving You".

This got a little away from me - hope you enjoy!

[arceespinkgun]

Blaster and Bumblebee/Goldbug

After reading the entire Marvel UK G1 comics continuity, one thing I've concluded is that I really want to see Bumblebee and Blaster hang out again. Blaster is somewhat famous for being very different from his Sunbow cartoon interpretation in these comics, being hot-headed in the comics but chill in the show, but honestly he becomes more in-line with that version of himself over time and I think Bumblebee was a large part of that. Continuing to have Bumblebee and Blaster as friends in new media would be a great thing.

Look at this awkward moment lol

See their story below the cut:

Blaster was introduced as an Autobot who was part of the Cybertronian resistance, trying to liberate the planet from the Decepticons. He had a partner named Scrounge who he seemed to have a hot-and-cold dynamic with.

But when Scrounge was captured and executed by the Decepticon leader Straxus in a horrific way (being melted by acid, which Straxus did to POWs in order to turn them into ingots) and died to send the message to the other Autobots that the Ark's crew were alive on Earth, Blaster became very embittered.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Bumblebee was struggling with feeling like he wasn't a valued member of the Autobots. He was treated like someone to protect, and when he was asked to mentor Tracks, Smokescreen, and Skids, Bumblebee ended up feeling like the whole affair was a wash.

I think it's worth noting how similar Blaster's dead partner, Scrounge, really is to Bumblebee. Obviously they're both little yellow guys, but beyond that, both felt like the load to their respective teams, even though that wasn't actually true. Scrounge even dies happy that he feels he was finally good for something. Scrounge was also a spy, which is kind of similar to Bumblebee's role in G1 as a scout.

Anyway, things happen, in an infamous moment, Optimus Prime kills himself over the deaths of video game NPCs. Blaster and the rest of his crew get to Earth via Space Bridge. Bumblebee gets blown up and then rebuilt into Goldbug. Grimlock takes control of the Autobots and immediately acts like a tyrant, culminating in his ordering Blaster and Goldbug to just start killing humans who are getting in their way during a mission. Blaster's cynicism and Goldbug's ideals actually mean they're on the same page in their disgust for their leader, so they go off alone.

Blaster is honestly an emotional wreck, channeling all this grief into hatred for the Decepticons. He's furious when Goldbug is shocked to hear that Blaster let his partner die.

These comics really tried to sell us on "Deceps" as a shortened version of "Decepticons." It did not catch on

When Goldbug has to go off alone while Blaster's battling the Decepticons, because Blaster and the Decepticons all got infected with Scraplets and Goldbug needs to find a cure, Blaster starts cursing Goldbug's name and Goldbug (IMO correctly) notes that if he tried to explain his good reasons for leaving mid-fight, Blaster wouldn't believe him.

When Goldbug does come back for him, Blaster lets his anger overwhelm him again, to the point of wanting to die via acid—the same way his old partner died—with the Decepticons rather than living.

But the Scraplets become too powerful to defeat this way, so Goldbug sticks to ideal and rebels. He knows they need their enemies' help to defeat the Scraplets. He saves them and Blaster both.

Blaster changes his mind about the whole thing, accepting their friendship, even seeing it as the "cure" for his inability to trust.

Goldbug's kindness softens Blaster a lot, something that is important throughout the rest of the issues in which he's the main character. He even lets Grimlock capture him in order to save the lives of some human children.

Eventually, Goldbug's also imprisoned by Grimlock. Blaster, having been tortured at Grimlock's command, is again starting to doubt what the point of caring about other people even is anymore. But Goldbug knows Blaster by this point. He knows that vengeance and anger drive him, so he knows just what to say to get him to knock some sense into the tyrant!

Many other things happen after this point, like Blaster being temporarily deactivated, as is Goldbug, and Goldbug getting rebuilt back into Bumblebee by Ratchet. But I think what's especially important is that Bumblebee takes on a leadership role, even sort of becoming Grimlock's superior.

I know this post has been all summary and very little analysis, but I know a lot of people don't know this continuity's stories so I felt it was necessary. What I really want to emphasize is how Bumblebee and Blaster made each other better people, and how Blaster feels like an equal to Bumblebee when Bumblebee's so often put into the role of a mentee or mentor to others. Bumblebee wanted to be needed by someone and to move away from the "little brother" role he often serves, and he became Blaster's equal and was needed by him in Blaster's time of mourning, then later became a leader. Goldbug helped Blaster calm down and become more openly caring. And the thing is, I really feel like even divorced from this specific storyline, this relationship could easily carry over into other continuities since both characters love Earth culture.

I'm also aware that Earthspark has Bumblebee talk about how Breakdown is like a brother to him and that their interactions have similarities to this dynamic. Since that show often focuses on post-War interactions between Autobots and Decepticons, it makes sense. But I really do want to see Blaster and Bumblebee again because I often feel like Blaster is neglected from a characterization standpoint and these comics give him some of the most depth and such a great relationship with an ultra-prominent character.

[beyondflashpoint]

Yoooooooo.

I’ve been bitten by the bug, and ye olde nostalgia got me thinking about Danny Phantom again, so I decided to play into that. I recently found the Show’s Pitch Bible, and it got me thinking about how I’d handle the reboot. On top of tweaking Jack and Maddie to make them less bumbling morons and more eccentric geniuses, I’d be aging up the crew, and settling Amity Park in Arkham County up New England way.

Danny, as you can probably tell from his human design, would be somewhat milquetoast, with grungy alternative leanings. Good at science, bad at math. Danny is, at his core, a good kid who loves his family. But he is still a kid.

I’ll probably go into them more as I work on the other characters, but I want to give Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and the Fenton parents more to do, even if it is just in the background. But for now, the Fenton parents definitely have only recently started Fenton Works. It’s been a lifelong dream, and between the two of them they’ve reached a point with their savings that it’s now a possibility. Maddie is a respected physicist, and Jack is… a bit of everything really. Test pilot, super spy, but mostly he’s an engineer. Maddie figures out how a thing works, and Jack can build it. The world of academia was… shocked when the most prominent scientific super couple announced they would be devoting the rest of their lives to pursuing superstitious pseudoscience, and this announcement has called their previous credibility into question, but no one can deny that Dr and Mister Fenton get results, if anyone can prove the existence of the supernatural, it’s the Fentons. Both are haunted by a supernatural experience from their youth.

Tucker Foley would probably have escaped the nerd label by his sheer programming and tech repair skills alone, if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s also a total anime geek, and a self proclaimed furry. Tucker is an unabashed nerd, and not the suave tv friendly type. Cosplays, ttrpg, mmos, comic and action figure collecting, you name it, he does it. Proudly. And he’s been Danny’s best friend since they were in diapers. Inevitably some of that has rubbed off on Danny.

Sam Manson is relatively new in town. She moved in with her grandmother midway through freshman year after things finally came to a head with her super conservative parents. Falling somewhere between socialist and anarchist, classic goth and punk, Sam is a rebel, an activist, and everything your parents warned you about. She’s also the coolest person Danny and Tucker know. Sam has a borderline obsession with the occult, ghosts, demons, witches, you name it, she can’t get enough of it. Which may or may not have something to do with a family secret relating to why certain members of the Manson family have purple eyes?

Jazmine Fenton is Danny’s smarter, prettier older sister. Fascinated by psychology, and obsessed with figuring out the inner workings of the mind. In high school she was a geek. In college she is thriving. Fortunately, Fenton Works is close to the university she’s attending, and that means she’s never far from home, and more importantly never far from her family. Though her relationship with her parents is rocky, she’s been trying to mend fences after getting some perspective on the world. She and Danny were close growing up, and shared everything, so his recent trend of playing everything close to his chest is unnerving for her. She doesn’t understand when she stopped be Danny’s best friend.

That’s alls I gots for now. Maybe I’ll play around with writing a fic, or maybe a comic or something. We’ll see how this all develops.

[discordiansamba]

was rotating the beta concept for cosmic dust while making dinner and somehow I rotated it too hard and came up with a concept that I basically like to call. oops! all Galra!

(well, except for Allura and Coran)

Keith is half-Altean, half-Galra and grew up on Altea as Allura's childhood friend. His mother Krolia worked as an ambassador to Altea, and ultimately sided with King Alfor over Zarkon. Keith was sealed away in a cryopod alongside Allura and Coran, while Krolia left before Altea's destruction to ensure that a rebellion against Zarkon would remain among his people and founded the Blade of Marmora.

They wake up on their own and have to figure out where to go from here. They know Keith has the potential to fly the red lion, but they'll need to find the rest of the lions and the rest of the paladins if they're going to have any hope of defeating Zarkon. They concentrate on finding the lions first, since perhaps they can use them to find their paladins.

Pidge is a low-ranking Galra working at a work camp for prisoners. She's not fond of the Empire, half because she's a runt and they treat her poorly- ignoring her talents and forcing her to work a terrible job that no one else wants instead. But half because she's used her talents at hacking to see things the Galra Empire doesn't want it's citizenry to see, and she's horrified. She strikes up a small friendship with a human prisoner named Matt, and when rebels come raid the prison, she helps bust him out.

He in turn asks if she wants to come with him- a chance which she seizes. She becomes a rebel, working alongside Matt who gradually becomes like a big brother to her.

(Matt holding up Pidge under the arms: hey mom. hey dad. I adopted a little sister while I was in space. hope you don't mind.)

Hunk is a low ranking Galra foot soldier stationed on a Balmera, but the lifestyle of a Galra soldier has never sat well with him. He's inherently kind, something which the Empire has tried and failed to stamp out. He sneaks extra rations to the Balmerans, doing what little he can for them, even though it's not much.

(Also there's a cute Balmeran girl named Shay he kind of has a crush on? He wishes he could do so much more for her, though...)

Lance is a member of the Blade of Marmora... in training. He has years to go before he can actually have a shot at the trials, even though he's got a burning urge to go out there right now and do something. Understandably, when he meets the literal son of their founder and he turns out to be a hotshot pilot who was personally trained by the Krolia, he feels the brewing of a rivalry.

(Keith still does not notice. Some things never change.)

Shiro was raised to be one of the Galra Empire's elite. He was promoted to Lieutenant at a young age, and served Zarkon loyally- until he was sent was sent on a mission to help locate the four remaining lions. He crash-landed on Earth and lost his memories, but was found by Adam. Without his memories, he became a kinder, gentler person- and falls in love with Adam in the process.

When a second scouting party arrives two years later, he's forced to confront his past- and vows to do better. To be better. He reveals himself to the Galaxy Garrison and works with them to strengthen their defenses. The true purpose of the Kerberos mission was to set up deep space sensors that would alert them of any incoming ships into the system... they were successfully installed, but what a bitter irony it was that they were too late for the Kerberos crew.

[redstuffs-ig]

More Whillstown thoughts because I guess I'm doing this now!

- Thrawn was just a really fucking competent public administrator who got lost in the woods once and came back nine years later with no explanation whatsoever.

- Mon Mothma becomes mayor after Palps finally retires. She's well-liked.

- The Organas are family friends of the Skywalkers, while the Lars family are a branch from Anakin's bio fam.

- Little Ben Solo found pictures of grandpa Anakin's midlife crisis and became obsessed with his outfit for whatever reason. He swears it's not a phase.

- Leia got lost in the woods when she was six and it threw the town into chaos. When Obi-Wan found her, she said she had become friends with "the fuzzy forest people". She was checked for rabies after the fact. To this day she swears it's true.

- The crew of the Executor are Anakin's coworkers at the office. They're quite the team of neurotic middle-aged white guys.

- The Rebels crew stay pretty much the same, except they're a regular friend group instead of terrorists. Zeb is not a dog he is simply a hairy human. Chopper's absolutely the world's mangiest cat though.

[kalevalakryze]

Yhe'na Det Och'sa

Chapter 2: Det Bahko

Characters: Shin Hati, Ahsoka Tano, Professor Huyang, Bail Organa, Leia Organa, Breha Organa, L0-LA59 | Lola, Kaeden Larte Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Shin Hati, Ahsoka Tano & Bail Organa, Bail Organa & Leia Organa, Shin Hati & Leia Organa, Mentioned Ahsoka Tano/Kaeden Larte, Bail Organa/Breha Organa Word Count: 6,110 AO3 Link: Here! Chapter One

As always, special thanks to the people who keep this AU alive, we wouldn't be here without them and their big brains, mwah: @somewillwin , @cmbdragon98 , @mandalorianfleshenjoyer

The route to Alderaan would be long, several days at least to get past all of the jumps that Fulcrum would need to make to ensure safe, Imperial-Free travel. 

It wasn’t long before the excitement of hyper-space travel wore off and the small child they’d brought on had started to nod, however, forehead pressing into the safety straps around their shoulders as silvery eyes began to droop. 

“Alright, tazi unt, let’s get you to bed,” Ahsoka called quietly as she finally rose from her seat. Both Shin and Huyang blinked up at her. 

“Lady Tano, it will be mid-day when we reach Alderaan,” Huyang warned, turning his head to watch as Ahsoka started to undo the buckles securing Shin in place. 

“And that’s a long way away, right now,” Shin scorched off the seat as soon as she was free, rubbing at their eyes with the heel of her hand and leaning into the hand that Ahsoka set on her shoulder. “Come on,” 

The crew quarters were small; Ahsoka had never had any reason to need more than one bunk, her training area, and Huyang’s area. “It’s not much,” She started, suddenly sheepish as Shin looked around the room. “But it’s home,” 

Shin’s lips seemed to twitch at this as Ahsoka leaned against the doorframe of the almost broom closet-esque space. “I have to go make a call, but Huyang and I will be right outside, okay?” 

Her hand ruffled through choppy, uneven hair as Shin nodded, smiling warmly at the way they leaned into her touch. Fingers brushing against their forehead, Ahsoka took pause at the warmth. Though… it had been some time since she’d touched a human not out of the need for survival, she couldn’t remember how warm they were supposed to run. “Get comfy, I’ll pop back in and check on you soon?” 

Ahsoka only left once she saw Shin shuffle towards the small bunk, the door sliding shut behind her as she stepped into the main cabin of the shuttle, rising the table from the floor and getting her comms set up to talk to Bail. 

It didn’t take long for the holo projection of Bail to spring to life in the middle of the room, though a laugh was barely concealed by the Rebel at the sight of him. Hanging off his arm was his and Breha’s daughter, Leia, giggling as she clung to her father’s arm with a little droid hovering by his shoulder, chirping the young princess on. “Good morning Bail, and Leia,” she greeted, folding her hands nearly behind her back as she regarded father and daughter. 

“Yes yes, hello Ahsoka!” The smile on his face was tired, though his eyes crinkled in the corners with only the love a father could have for their child as he swung the girl into both of his arms and getting a pout from her. “Say hello, Leia,”

Pouting at being pulled from her human pull-up bar, Leia was quick to perk up again upon seeing Ahsoka. “Aunt ‘soka! Are you coming to visit?!” She squirmed in Bail’s hold until he let her down, crowding the holo-projector with a view of her face close up. 

Laughing freely now, Ahsoka nodded; there was always a relief when it came to communicating with Bail and his family, a small moment of herself long forgotten that was allowed to resurface; too much like spending time with Anakin and Padmé. “I am, in fact. And I’m bringing a friend, that I need to talk to your father about, think you can do me a top secret favor?” Leia was still in the dark about the rebellion, for her safety, but she’d never know Ahsoka as a Jedi, or even as someone who knew her birth parents, and that was for the better, to keep her away from the force and do what she could to crowd the child’s latent abilities. 

“I need you to find this part for me, there’s this droid I’m workin’ on-“ 

“I’m on it! Is it the one you were working on last time?” 

“It was, thank you for remembering,” 

Leia shot off without another word, letting Bail back into view as he shook his head. “The energy that girl has in her,”

“So much like her father,”

Bail’s smile faltered. “Ana-“ 

“No, Bail, like you.” 

The senator took pause as a small smile pulled at his lips, head craning to look at the door Leia had previously retreated through. “What can I help you with, Fulcrum?” 

“I found a kid,” The Alderaniaan’s eyebrow rose sharply, though before he could question, Ahsoka raised her hand to continue. “On Ibaar, she… didn’t have anyone,” The Rebel’s arms crossed over her chest, facial markings twisting as she looked away for a brief moment to recome herself.

“And she’s like you,”

“Yeah, is Kaeden still on Alderaan?” 

“Yes, I’ll postpone her deployment, I suppose you’ll need her to check her out?” 

“Yeah, she’s young, underweight, and I’m certain she’s been living off of trash for too long to be well, much less get any of the vaccines that would help her in space,” 

As if on cue, a soft, wheezing cough rang through her montrals, turning Ahsoka’s head in worry. “We’ll be there by mid-day, could you see if she would be ready?”

“It will be done,”

“Thank you, Senator Organa,” 

Instead of correcting her once more, Bail simply shook his head and smiled before the blue hologram flickered away. 

Spinning on her heel, Ahsoka turned back to the small bunk room, eyes scanning the bunk… that was still neatly made. Panicked, her eyes flitted about the room, to the top bunk she’d used as storage, and finally, to the floor. 

“Shin?” She called quietly, watching as the young human shrunk down under their cloak. “Tazi unt?” She called again, watching her press their feverish forehead into the cool steel of the bunk’s base, searching for relief from the heat while curling closer to find liberation from the cold. “Did you fall off the bed?” 

When no response came, the Togruta turned to the expert. “Huyang!” Ahsoka hissed through the open doorway, frowning at the quiet sound of discomfort from her small human at the sound. “Humans shouldn’t run this warm, right?” She questioned, making room for the droid to join her. 

“Not typically, no. You will need to help her cool off,” Mechanics clinked and whirred as his head moved to study the shivering child. “She will not like it.” He warned with a shudder, no doubt reminiscent of his own rare occasions when a sick initiate would undoubtedly find him before their Master. 

Frowning, Ahsoka reached over to gather Shin up in her arms, which did well for waking her up, at least, “Good morning, suun ghe.” She greeted, taking mind to keep her voice low as their head drooped into her shoulder. “How do you feel?” 

“Cold,” They rasped out, tucking closer to safety Ahsoka walked them to the ‘fresher, perching the small human on the edge of the sink as she moved for the drawer with a cool pack in it, as well as some face wipes to clear off the rapidly drying sweat on their brow. 

Huyang followed the two force-sensitive sentients, helping Ahsoka go through the different items in the med-kit as she returned to her youngling. “This is going to be cold, I’m sorry,” The cold pack was activated and chilled in quick order, wrapping a small hand towel around it, Ahsoka pressed it into their head and frowned as they tried to pull away. 

There was a time, once, when she remembered the clones doing the same for her; She’d been older than Shin, then, had known how to use the force to burn off her sickness, and yet, when Fives and Jesse had found her overheating, the five-oh-first hadn’t missed a beat in helping her out, even if Togrutan Biology was something none of them could understand. 

She remembered a call for Kix, that led to a call with Coric, which included Master Obi-Wan, and while she hadn’t been conscious enough to remember what was said, she recalled enough of how they helped her center enough until she could burn it off. “Huyang, could you start a pot of water to boil for tea? One of the golden packets, and could you grab one of the ice pops from Coruscant too, please?”

Turning from his task in finding a human-safe relief aid, Huyang stared up at her, then back at the fevering child leaning back against the mirror to avoid the cold. “Of course, Lady Tano,” Which… honestly, was the easiest the old droid had ever taken instruction from her, when it wasn’t something to do with the old Jedi Order. “Ad’ika-”

“What do those mean?” Their attention was focused more on the strange names she’d been addressed as, over the sickness burning in her system and the torture of the cold-pack on their head. 

“How about this,” Ahsoka pulled the back away, relief clear as day when Shin leaned back in, even going so far as to reach out and brush her fingertips against Ahsoka’s bicep, almost asking her to stay, even as the woman held herself directly in front of the human as the droid clanked out of the room. “I’ll tell you what each one means if you let me help you get cleaned up and cooled down?” She held up the pack again and watched as their eyes flickered to it like it was an enemy. “I promise it won’t be too bad, I won’t hurt you, Shin, never.” 

Tentatively, the child nodded their head, watching in trepidation as Ahsoka retrieved a face wipe from the small package and began wiping sweat away from clammy skin. The wipes were cool, but not nearly enough to keep their temperature down. 

“Tazi unt, it’s Togruti, my people speak it on Shili and some of the other planets we’ve migrated to, but it’s generally safe to use as most humans have not bothered to learn it - it means little one.” Ahsoka explained to a half-attentive human, wondering herself if they would, like her, ever remember any of the words leaving her mouth, or if they would fade away to the back of her memory. 

“Suun ghe means sunshine,” Their nose crinkled at that, and Ahsoka half chuckled as she ran the cool wipe over the bridge of their nose. “You have a problem with that, young one?” 

“Never liked the sun, much,” They admitted with a boneless shrug, finally leaning into the relief that the cool cloth offered as their temperature changed. 

“Mm. Perhaps Daaark grut.” They perked at the words, even if they couldn’t understand them. “It means moon hunter… it feels… fitting,” 

“Mhmm,” Came a tired agreement as Ahsoka finished wiping off her face and neck. 

“Come on, do you want me to carry you again?” 

Shin paused, now that they were partially through the brain fog and being given a choice… she wasn’t sure what to pick. No one had ever carried her before, much less touched her like Ahsoka had, or as often… The nod of their head was eager, one that Ahsoka hadn’t missed as she stepped in to gather Shin up in her arms, letting their legs wrap around her waist as their head pillowed against her lek. “Hold onto that ice pack for me, please?” One bony hand clutched the pack to their chest while the other hesitantly reached out to touch Ahsoka’s other lek; they were soft and leathery, not entirely unpleasant. 

Waiting for them in the main cabin, Huyang was sitting with a holonovel open in front of him, a book specifically on human sicknesses. In a cup at his side, a bright purple ice-pop sat, faintly glowing in its container as the time worked its magic in softening the treat. 

Shin was set carefully on the edge of the bench, where they proceeded to scoot in until their shoulder was jumping against the cool metal of Huyang’s arm. “Have you ever had one of these before?” Ahsoka questioned, nudging the cup closer to the child who shook their head. “It’s gonna be really cold, and really sweet, but it’ll help your fever go down some. Just grab it by that stick and lick it,”

“Some also bite it,” Huyang interjected, only half listening as his eyes scanned his old records. 

“Huyang, we are not raising a monster.” The smile on her face said she didn’t truly care how Shin ate the cold treat, so the child decided to try both.

The first lick was freezing, and the ice-pop was dropped back into the cup as their hand covered their mouth. “That’s cold!” They shouted, voice hoarse as she backed away from the table, almost hiding behind Huyang’s arm from the offending treat. 

Stifling her laughter behind her hand, Ahsoka shook her head. “Give it a moment,” She promised, watching as the human started to recognize the taste of sugary sweetness, something that called to all kids, even if they’d been so deeply deprived of it for so long. 

 It took a minute before they slowly poked back from the droid’s arm, eyeing Ahsoka warily as they picked it back up. A gentle finger was brought to their forehead, testing the heat that still simmered under pale skin. She wasn’t as hot as when Ahsoka woke her up before, but she definitely still needed more than they could offer. “Sorry,” She apologized quietly for interrupting, watching warmly as the child licked and ate the ice-pop experimentally. 

“We will need to pick up supplies from Senator Organa for a human. We’ve managed to store safe medicines for Rodians, Nautolans, Brylls, Gungans, Umbarans, Twi’leks, and Togrutas, yet we have nothing safe for humans, especially ones as small as the youngling.” Huyang informed as he went down his list. 

“Can you add it to the list of supplies for our redeployment?” Ahsoka was standing, stepping back to the bathroom to grab the face wipes again as Huyang listed off all of the items on the list, taking care to list off new items for their addition. 

When she came back, Shin was a mess of sticky purple sugar and sweetness. “Look here,” She called, taking a wipe to clean off the stickiness before it could get too bad. “Feeling any better?” 

“Mhmm, thank you.” They were drooping again, slowly dozing as Ahsoka helped clean them up again, small frame leaning into the sturdy metal of Huyang as he continued reading as if a feverish human wasn’t using him as a pillar of support. 

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed, for real this time,” This time, Shin scooted readily to the edge of the bench, reaching out before Ahsoka was even turned around to pick them back up. “Did you fall off the bunk earlier?” She questioned as she gathered them back up, finding a comfortable spot on her hip for the small human 

“I’ve never..” They trailed off as the hydraulics on the door hissed open, staring warily at the enclosed space on the bunk. Every now and then, the straw from the very few farmers on Ibaar was thrown out, and she’d been able to stuff enough in her poncho on the way past the refuse bins on her way back to what counted as home in the maintenance tunnels; it was the softest thing she’d ever been able to sleep on. 

“Well, the bunk is a lot more comfortable than the floor,” Ahsoka sat on the edge of the cot, keeping Shin in her lap as she leaned to dig under the pillows. The little tooka toy was hand-stitched, a long project led by Rex and Cody when she’d first become Anakin’s Padawan, and the utmost horror from her men when they’d learned Jedi didn’t really have possessions. “This is scratcher. My Ori’vode - big brothers, gave him to me when I was just a little older than you are now. He helped me through some really tough times during the war, kept me safe when it felt like there was no one else who could.” The fabric was still soft as when it had been made, though the child took pause.

With the touch of fabric came the sound of ghosts in the back of her mind, barking laughter calling for ‘snips’, warm hugs against cold plastoid, hundreds of identical faces that they knew were different, and the weight of the paid beneath it all. 

When their vision cleared, Ahsoka was looking at them in wonder. “We’ll work on it, when you’re feeling better.” She promised, already seeing the questions forming on the tip of their tongue. “For now, you need some rest before we land.” 

Getting Shin to lay back on the bunk with her was more difficult than it should have been, as they tried to adjust to the thin strip of padding beneath them. Ahsoka let them stay closer to the door, knowing Huyang would be up if something happened that she miraculously could not hear, not wanting to crowd them, but not wanting to be too far away, since their hand still had yet to leave her lekku. 

Eventually, the shuffling stilled, too tired to continue fighting for comfort, the small child managed a position they could sleep in, dangerously close to the edge of the bed, with Scratcher tucked awkwardly into their stomach as sickness goaded them back to sleep at last.

When Ahsoka woke, it wasn’t to the ship rumbling in an attack, Imperial forces boarding, or even her comms going off, it was to lazy alarm bells, muffled by the grogginess of sleep and the safety in the force. There was a warm body curled up against her chest, small fingers wrapped loosely around her lek, breathing slow and heavy against her neck.

Predatory instincts began to awaken as consciousness ebbed to the forefront of her mind, eyes blinking open quickly and narrowing at the small form pressed into her. Carefully, Ahsoka’s arms shifted from where they were stuffed under the pillows, one arm wrapping carefully around Shin as her other arm moved to gently pry their hand from her lek, soreness accompanying the sensitive organ. 

The small human groaned thickly at the movement as Ahsoka attempted to extricate herself from them. By the time Ahsoka managed to clear herself entirely, the mattress was going cold, leaving Shin attempting to curl into the arm still wrapped around her for warmth. 

The hydraulics on the door hissed open quietly, filling the dim room with light and the sounds of Huyang clattering at a counter. “ ‘soka?” Their voice was deep and groggy, congestion clogging their chest and throat in a way that had them sniffling painfully. “Not feeling much better, tazi unt?” She tried to keep her voice comfortably low as the girl shook her head. “Alright, come on, let's head to the ‘fresher and get cleaned up, yeah? Should make it to Alderaan soon,” 

Cleaning up a sick kid was not as easy as the cheesy holomovies made it seem when Shin kept running from anything their small, overheating body deemed too cold, which was… everything, unfortunately. Really, she had no clue how the old créche masters would deal with entire groups of younglings who could act in such a manner. 

At least the accidental exercise chasing them around the ‘fresher was enough to tucker the kid out by the time Huyang pulled the T-6 into the shipyard. Anxiety buzzed in the air from the child who had never set foot on another planet. When Ahsoka offered a hand as the ramp descended, clammy hands were quick to secure around her own, and their small frame tucked easily into her side, using the many folds of her poncho to gain coverage from the bright late morning sunlight that flooded in.

Waiting for them on the platform stood Bail, Breha, and C3PO. “Where’s trouble?” Ahsoka questioned as she guided Shin from the ship, Huyang following just a beat behind them. 

“You know Leia,” Bail shook his head as Jedi and Apprentice came to the bottom of the ramp. “So this is your new addition,” The corners of his eyes crinkled warmly as he caught the scruffy brunette peering over his shoulder. “Ahsoka says you weren’t feeling well,” He was slow in lowering himself to one knee, closer to Shin’s level, as Breha’s hand moved to rest on his shoulder. “I’m Bail, this is my wife, Breha… We can help you,” 

When his hand extended towards them, Shin ducked closer into Ahsoka. Instead of reacting in offense, he allowed his hand to drop. “Ahsoka has a friend inside who can help more than we can, but she’s been ignoring her comms,” His eyes flickered to the Togruta, whose boot scuffed the alloyed metal of the landing pad sheepishly. “Think she may need your help to go see her,”

Peeking out at Bail, then up at Ahsoka’s diffident expression, Shin nodded her head quickly. “Who is she?” 

Behind her, Ahsoka could hear Threepio and Huayng talking ‘shop’, which… would have been preferable to coming face to face with Kaeden for the first time since Raada. “She’s a doctor, a good one at that,” He promised, rising back to his feet with a quiet grunt. 

Taking Ahsoka’s hand once more, Shin tentatively took the first step. “Hold on tight, she’s a runner,” Breha commented with a sly smirk, earning an exasperated sound from Fulcrum.

“One time,” The Togruta grumbled, allowing Shin to lead her by the hand into the buildings that touched the sky. 

The floors were not crowded in layers of dirt and grime, the lights were clear, and everyone they passed was kind to their group, even when Ahsoka pulled her hood low over her head, concealing her face from the several different security patrols they’d slipped past. 

“Hey! There’s my favorite-” The stranger's voice was warm and chirpy, though they trailed off kind of awkwardly before they could slip up and say something that would get them killed. “Transport captain!” “Smooth, Kaeden,” Ahsoka had brightened under their gaze, even if there was a feeling of nervous energy stirring in the air the closer their group came to the room she was peeking out of. Intimidation kept Shin back, pressed nervously into Ahsoka’s side, using the familiar fabric of her poncho to hide from stunning eyes as the woman scanned their group. “Shin,” Ahsoka called not unkindly as she tried to peel her personal attachment away; with all the eyes on her, the human only pressed herself closer into the one pillar of safety she’d ever had in this world, even as Ahsoka continued to actively make her part. “One moment-” It was a bit awkward, and mildly cramped, as Ahsoka dropped to a knee and pulled the poncho around both of their heads, montrals sticking comically from the top of the fabric. “Hey, are you okay?” The hand that wasn’t being used to keep the poncho up reached out, allowing two tiny hands to wrap around hers, feeling rough fingers smoothing across her knuckles, and the rapid beating of their heart that seemed loud enough to shake their tiny fort.

“ *’scared,”* They admitted woefully, tips of their fingers pressing into the indents in Ahsoka’s hands. 

“I bet,” Ahsoka shifted to take some of the pressure from the hard floor off her knees. “But that woman out there, Kaeden? If there’s one person in the medical field I trust, it’s her;” Sure, Kaeden was still very new in her practice, and no where near on Coric or Kix’s levels, but she was a friend. And those were about as rare as a Jedi, these days. 

“And I’ll be here every step of the way, we’ll do it scared, together,” Shin ducked into her chest, appreciative of the support, and the strength that Ahsoka was giving them in such a wildly drastic environment to what they knew. “They’re waiting for us-” Someone out side of their fort coughed at that, allowing Ahsoka to exaggeratedly roll her eyes. “Shouldn’t keep them waiting-” Shin’s shoulders squared and chin raised, meeting the group of new faces head on- Ahsoka’s heart warmed at the display of strength; When Kaeden had stepped aside to allow Master and Apprentice into the room, it was Shin who’d taken Ahsoka’s hand and led her in. “Kriff, you’d think this was *my* appointment,” “Not off the table, Tano. You’re not looking so hot either-” Kaeden teased, bidding farewell to the senator as the door slid shut behind them. “Ouch, alright-” Ahsoka helped get Shin up onto the table as Kaeden moved around her. “Jedi, huh; You been taking care of her?” The woman questioned Shin playfully, only receiving a shy twitch of their lips and the bowing of her head. “Well, on behalf of everyone who cares about her, thank you. Someone needed to.” Ahsoka groaned dramatically as she slid into a seat beside the bench. 

“Larte, isn’t Bail paying you?”

“Just catching up, Tano; Jeesh!” 

A small wooden stick was tossed halfheartedly at Kaeden’s leg in response, warm laughter erupting that helped ease the tension that had been steadily rising in the room.

The appointment went about as well as Ahsoka had expected, Shin had a low-grade case of Mynock fever, was underweight, and was underdeveloped compared to others her age. Kaeden had given them everything they needed to combat this; Shin received the vaccinations they would need to continue traveling through space, taking each shot like a trooper, even if their nails did leave crescent-shaped indents in the tops of Ahsoka’s hands from squeezing so hard. 

Kaeden had even been kind enough to give Ahsoka instructions on how to take care of human hair, Shin had seemed to be learning just as much as Ahsoka was, but hey, it got her kid cleaned up properly.  They also discussed the varying diets they’d need to work on and even some idea on where to start in teaching Shin more than the ways of the Jedi. “And hey, don’t forget; you ever get over your Jedi hangups-”

Ahsoka laughed as she led Shin from the room. “I know, you’ll be my first call, promise,” Or… one of them, but definitely up there. 

“Are you feeling better?” The woman asked as Shin quietly tucked back into her side, reaching down to cover the small hand that was rubbing against the multicolored bandaids taped onto their bicep. 

“She was nice,” Shin remarked instead. As they walked, Ahsoka was able to observe the way they started to slowly acclimate, until she was walking almost a foot away from Ahsoka, knuckles dragging listlessly against walls and railing, one hand still wrapped loosely in Ahsoka’s own. “And she smelled nice… And she was really pretty. Does she love you? Do you love her?”  

Blanching, Ahsoka forced her eyes straight ahead, cheeks darkening considerably under curious eyes. “She’s dear to me, yes,” 

“You love her.” 

There was a conviction in Shin’s voice that made even Ahsoka come to terms with it. Reaching across the small gap with her hand not held in their own, the Togruta ruffled her hand through freshly cleaned hair. “Your hair is a mess, you know?” 

“Your hair doesn’t exist,” It seemed being properly cleaned, fed, and given medicine had somehow given the kid some snark, which took an unfortunate amount of control to not laugh at. 

“Yeah yeah,” Pulling Shin from the railing, a gentle tug sent the small human back into her arms. There wasn’t much light left in the galaxy, but kriff, if the kid beaming up at her was an indication at something better, she’d fight for it tooth and nail. “Hey, I think Bail mentioned Leia having some extra clothes that’ll fit, and she’s got a pretty cool droid too, wanna go check it out?” “Who’s Leia? You mentioned her earlier,” Shin swung their connected hands as they walked, peering through big glass windows every chance she got to take in the dazzling visage of the city beyond. 

“She’s Bail and Breha’s daughter, careful, I hear she’s a bit of a troublemaker-” She was interrupted by the chirping of a droid as they passed a window.

“Lola!” A small voice shouted, and a girl came running from an adjoining hall to shove her hands out of the window to the droid to perch in. “Father doesn’t like it when you spy on people,” She scolded sheepishly, though she gave herself away with the smile she beamed up at Ahsoka. 

“He doesn’t, it makes him very upset you know,” Ahsoka chided, pulling the young girl into a side hug. Leia was older than Shin by a few years, almost towering over the scrawny kid at her side as she looked to the newcomer expectantly. “Who’re you?”

Nervous eyes skittered between Ahsoka and Leia; The Togruta had to give Shin a gentle nudge to get them to introduce herself. “Shin,” They were timid; Ahsoka wasn’t sure if they’d ever had a name to introduce themselves to anyone before, or if there had been other kids on Ibaar, before her arrival. 

Leia seemed to understand, at least, looking the lanky girl up and down before turning to Ahsoka. “Mother said she may fit in some of my old stuff, can I take them with us?” Lola chirped from her shoulder, metal feet tapping excitedtly against the Princess’s shoulder as they eagerly waited.

“Does that sound okay to you, Shin?”

“... You’ll come back?” They weren’t looking at her or Leia. Alderaan was pretty, sure; but she didn’t know it like she did the streets of Ibaar, and she didn’t feel the same connection with the people they’d met here like they had with Ahsoka and Huyang.

“Hey,” Ahsoka was crouching to her level again, finger gently tapping against their chin to get their attention. “I will always come back,” It was a promise she should have made to Anakin, to fill the painful silence when she’d walked away… She wouldn’t make that mistake ever again. 

Shin had still seemed uncertain about the truth to these words; They’d been burned before, and the pretty medic had listed  lot of work that they would need to put into her to catch her up… If Ahsoka decided they weren’t worth it; 

It was Leia who’d pulled them from the spiral as Ahsoka blanched; How someone so small could dig into the vastness of the darkside so fast, so easy in a half second spiral, it had left her reeling. “Ahsoka always comes back, no matter what,” The older girl promised, squeezing the brunette’s shoulder before moving her head in the direction of an adjoining hall as Ahsoka regained her bearings. “Come on, if she tries to go anywhere without you, Lola will zap her!” 

The girls disappeared before Ahsoka had even gotten to her feet. “Do you know binary?” “No?” “...Do you want to?” 

The clothes Leia had passed off to her were itchy, silky, flowing sleeves that made her skin crawl and dangling pieces that clanked, reverberating through her ears in a way that put her on edge. “Mother doesn’t like when I do this, much;” Leia started explaining as Shin’s nose scrunched up at their reflection. “Stand still-” 

Fabric ripped under small hands, until Shin’s arms were free of the unpleasant texture. With the sleeves gone, Leia began adjusting the grey fabric so it sat better on them. “I’ve been trying to learn sewing from the handmaidens, and I think I know exactly what’s going to make this better, but we gotta be quiet, got it?” 

Leia looked at them with an intensity burning in her eyes that had Shin nodding her understanding before the words had even registered. “Okay,” They agreed, allowing the older girl to take her hand and drag her from the large ‘bedroom’ that had alone been bigger than even Drell’s cantina on Ibaar. 

Leia led her through a small series of hallways attached to the room, muttering about handmaiden’s passages and how there were some she swears hadn’t been touched since the Clone Wars, whatever that was. “Shh!” Leia was pushing Shin back uncomfortably into another hall as two sets of feet approached, coming from a nearby door. 

“We’re going to have to build the network more,” She could hear Ahsoka’s voice pour from the open door that Bail’s handmaidens had departed from. “I can’t… I won’t take her into this fight like this, you of all people should understand,”

“Fulcrum,” Bail’s voice was calm, but even Shin could pick up on the desperation in his voice. “If you’re insistent on taking the child with you, you’ll have to tell her eventually; Makers forbid something happen-”

There was a quiet groan from the material of the chair Ahsoka had been sitting in as she presumably dropping back. Shin could feel the heavy sigh in her bones. “I’ll keep her ready, but I am not deploying her into an active warzone, she isn’t even eight standard years, she’s too young for this life. Way too young.”

“Weren’t you?” 

“That’s different. I didn’t have a choice, but now, I do,”

“That should be her call to make,” 

Leia was tugging on Shin’s shoulder as they pressed closer to the cracked opening of their hiding place. What were they arguing about? Was it her? What fight? Fight the Empire? That couldn’t be done… Fight for the Empire? She’d heard of them taking kids… But Ahsoka was fighting to keep her promise, even with one of her friends? “We should go, Father gets upset when I eavesdrop,” 

Moving quietly from their step off the path, Shin followed Leia in deep thought, new boots scuffing pristine carpets and linoleum as they moved through different rooms. “This is where the Tailor keeps all the cool stuff,” Leia spoke up once they crossed into a rather empty workshop. “We really make this yours now.” The devious smile on the girl’s face only lightened Shin’s spirits as she peered across the thousands of different materials all over the room. “Let’s get started.” 

When the super-secret meeting was finished, Shin and Leia had met Bail and Ahsoka at the border of the woods. Lola was weaving through the trees, flashing multicolored lights as the girls chased her, trying to catch the droid, calling out different colors each time their fingers brushed a leg or a chipped white underbelly. “Lola! Slow down!” Shin called as she vaulted over a log, pumping their arms as the older girl used longer legs to cover the distance she’d lost. 

“Don’t do it! It’s a trap!” Leia shouted, laughter bubbling past her lips as she reached to tug on the navy fabric on Shin’s shoulder, forcing the younger girl to fall behind. Shin laughed as she recovered, allowing the droid to circle them back to the mouth of the forest. 

“Father!” Leia called as their running feet slowed. Bail and Ahsoka stood at the mouth of the trail, Ahsoka’s warm smile peeking from under her hood as Bail dropped to one knee, allowing his daughter to pounce into his arms. 

“Did you two have fun?” He questioned, reaching to pluck stray leaves and wild twigs from the girl’s braids. 

“So much! You guys are gonna come back soon, right?” 

Ahsoka spared a glance at Shin, catching the almost hopeful look on their face as the girl plucked at the smooth fabric hanging past a leather belt cinched around their middle. “I think we’ll definitely have to set a date, absolutely,” 

“Yes!” Both girls shouted at once, laughter filling the small wooded area once more as Leia jumped from Bail’s arms to wrap around Shin. 

The younger girl had faltered at the contact, though she’d sunk into it after a moment with encouragement from Lola, who’d promptly perched herself on Leia’s head. “I can’t wait!” Leia exclaimed when she’d pulled back, allowing Lola to hop over to her head with her own laugh. When they reboarded the ship, Huyang had seemed much more relaxed, mentioning something about an oil bath and Alderaanian mechanics. The handmaidens had already loaded the small container of clothes that Shin and Leia had performed their secret alterations to, leaving it sitting in a neat stack. In a smaller, messier box, she could see a wild array of pieces and a handwritten note from Leia, scrawled on a small piece of flimsi in the messiest writing she had no hope of reading. 

A large hand ruffled through the choppy mess of brown hair. “Well, Shin… This is where the fun begins,”

[enkisstories]

The wrecking of the Steadfast

General Hux finally has what he always wanted! Well, not the Emperor's throne... or the title of Grand-Marshall... or Kylo Ren dead... But he has that mouthy, enervating Poe Dameron helpless at his mercy, and that's a fortune not to scoff at. However, the General needs the little nusiance and his friends alive to escape from captivity, if he doesn't want get executed for treason by his former comrades. And someone really should do something about that badly damaged star destroyer in orbit, that's generating debris left and right, each piece of space trash threatening to crash into the colony the fugitives are hiding in. Worst trouble a single destroyer has ever given Poe! Over the course of their escape, the unlikely allies Dameron and Hux turn scarily human in each other's eyes. Is there a chance for their growing bond to survive those few days of having a shared goal?

Read here.

Excerpt:

A few paces to the side Hux sat with his back to the wall. He repeatedly tossed a small rubber ball against a board saying “No Vacancy” (apparently the safe house was officially registered as a vacation home for visitors from the countryside) and caught it again when it rebounded. The pace was much slower than if Poe had played the same game, but even so it was fast enough to make the pilot’s only so recently injured head spin.

“Sit”, Hux said without looking at the arrival.

Poe slid down the wall next to him. When Hux tossed the ball the next time, Poe snatched it on its return.

“Can we talk? In earnest, I mean.”

“I won't try to talk you out of flying tomorrow, but do not expect encouragement from me, either. You know the risks. Do what you want… as you always do.”

“I wanted to talk about Crait.”

Now Poe had the mole’s full attention.

“Crait?! What would there to be discuss about Crait between us?”

“Kylo Ren. You had him out in the open and at point blank range. Why didn’t you order your crew to fire? Why didn’t you remove the one obstacle between you and the throne right there?”

“And they say I’m bad at making friends…”

“Look, Hux, I still haven’t fully recovered, but me and my friends are expected to sleep under the same roof as you tonight. We discussed taking shifts standing watch or locking you up in the broom cabinet to minimize the risk of getting assassinated."

"Oh, did you?"

Acid would have been gentler than the General’s voice in this moment, but Poe had to admit that he wouldn’t have taken this revelation any kinder. His reply would have been more creative, but stung no less.

"Help me understand you! There seems to have been a line you were not willing to cross. That’s quite out of character for you.”

[...]

Now Poe threw himself around with a speed that had to be even less healthy for him than the emotions. He balled his fists and advanced, but stopped short of hitting the enemy officer.

“No way you could have known that!” Poe shouted. “Not that! This song is about the polar opposite of what the First Order stands for!”

How could it be possible that the enemy took everything the rebels held dear, but twisted it? That was worse than destroying something, this claiming of something good for themselves, putting it through the wringer and spitting it out desecrated.

“I sang this song to Ren, in my head, when he waltzed into a council session with a new mask on”, Hux said calmly, with just a hint of glee. “Because, see? He’s worshipping the ashes, Vader’s ashes, and he’s not going anywhere doing so. Whereas I preserve the flame. Four. Beams. In. A. Single. Shot. The sun resulting from the Hosnian cataclysm will still be burning when nobody remembers us anymore.”

“You… bastard…”

Hux’ eyes bore into Poe’s. They were pure ice, despite all the talk of fire, cold, but not uncaring. To the contrary, the icicle’s sharpness cared a lot, but what it cared about was to cause pain.

“Finally woken up, little pilot?” Hux barked. “Good for you. Who do you think you are to "test" me for indoor privileges?! I’m not you guys’ pet, not the tamed danger! A war trophy, maybe, but even that remains to be seen. You can’t decide what to do with me, as if I were a frog your kid has brought into the house! I sleep where I decide to…”

There was a short, uncomfortable pause, uncomfortable for the General, that was, seeing what had briefly flashed through his mind. But then he decided to just run with it and shouted:

“…and if that’s YOUR bed, you’ll shut up and like it!”

And with these words he rose and strode into the house. As confidently as his still not fully healed leg would allow, anyway.

In the common room BB-8 turned his head away from a holographic game he had been playing with [an OC]. He now fixed his gaze on Hux and, as the droid assumed, Poe entering the house behind him. Since BB-8 was the one projecting the gaming field, it now fell over Hux. White and black dots on a grid obscured his sight and in a reflex he tried to wave them away. Suddenly realizing that Hux had come in alone, that there was no Poe anywhere in sight, BB-8 deactivated the game and rolled towards the door at top-speed, deliberately tripping the General. Whatever had occurred between him and Poe, it was painfully obvious that they hadn’t parted as friends.

Second time flat on my belly in as many days. And again in full sight of the rebels….

[...]

Hux hadn’t expected to fall to sleep this fast. As a result he woke up so early that it was still night. In the bed standing at a right angle with his, Poe’s hand had slipped free from under the covers and was dangling over the edge. How typical! The little barbarian didn’t care one bit about how he was presenting himself to the world. Not that it would have mattered in any way, shape or form, normally. But in his current condition sleeping like a heap of droids in the Lost and Found office could be detrimental to Poe’s recovery.

Giving in to an impulse, Hux reached out, intent on putting the hand back where it belonged. He wasn’t prepared for it to twitch and the fingers to curl as if to clamp the attacker down. Since it was too late to retract his own hand, Hux went for the only option left to him: at least squeeze the other’s hand instead of letting it capture him.

Poe blinked. “Huh?”

“Don’t ask. Just. Don’t ask. So tired of your shit…”

“Yeah, same here!”

As if it wasn’t him, who had to clean up after every mess Snoke, Ren and Hux had caused to the galaxy for years now! Poe had entered his thirties and imagined his life differently, but here they were, fighting a war same as their parents before them had done, yet the First Order General had the nerve to complain to HIM? Sure, you have it so hard…

But then again, locked in each other’s grasp now they were just two people who had woken up in the middle of the night, and in this state pretty much every hand felt the same. This hand Poe was holding had killed and tortured, but it wasn’t  incapable of caressing and comforting, too. There just had never been any reason to for it.

“Is there a chance you might let go?” Hux asked, albeit without making any effort to wiggle free.

“Not even if you directly asked me to, no.”

Back to sleep Poe’s mind went. And so they lay, holding hands. After a while Hux had fallen asleep again, too.

By morning both their hands hang over the edge. They must have let go of each other, but they couldn’t remember when that had happened, so they pretended it had never been a thing in the first place. For what was there to their “bond”, viewed rationally? Poe Dameron had hit his head, he wasn’t thinking clearly. And Armitage Hux was alone in unfamiliar territory, a situation that left a member of the incredibly social species that was humankind no choice but to attach themselves, even if that meant fraternizing with the enemy. There was nothing surprising here, or particularly deep and especially nothing lasting.

[...]

Hux shook Poe by the shoulder.

“Waky-waky, rebel scum!”

“Uh… Is it morning already?”

“Uh-huh. How are you in the spot where other people have their brains?”

“Fine, I think. Your leg?”

“The injury is still noticeable, but not what I’d call painful. A bit annoying.”

“That does translate into lowered reaction speed, though.”

“You tell me!” A frown, quickly followed by a smile. “So, General Dameron, do you want to sit this mission out and play Pazaak together in the infirmary?”

My new rank… Quick, translate Hux to human speech, what does he mean to convey? Ah, right. Acknowledging the rank granted to me by the military of a political body he doesn’t recognize as legit is like offering first name terms. And actually better than if he had done that. I certainly don’t respect this man as a person, but he really is a competent strategist.

“Tempting, Grand-Marshal", Poe returned the offer. "But seeing how we fared last time we entered one, I have to pass.”

[...]

“Ready to go?” Finn asked.

Rose, Poe and the droids replied affirmative, then five sets of sensors focused on the defector. Having a second engineer next to Rose and a sixths body overall with them would be helpful, of course, but bringing Hux along was still a risk.

Hux swallowed the last of his tea. He understood that acting naturally was his best bet now, if he didn’t want to get left behind tied up (and probably having killed one of the rebels before they overpowered him). Unfortunately “acting naturally” for Armitage Hux boiled down to striking a pose and giving a speech:

“Recently I found myself thinking that with you by my side I’d made it to the top, after all. The way you reacted to each of my leaks, putting your expanded knowledge to the best effect, was a joy to watch. Very different from how one imagines disorganized anarchists. It’s not the compliment you want to hear, I’m sure, but I look forward to our mission together. At the very least it should be interesting.”

It seemed to have worked, because the next moment they were sitting in a speeder and were on their way to the space port.

[sh1n4]

GUYS TODAY I MAKE AU FOR CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS IS SMG4 AU WILL CALL SHG4 STAND FOR Sonic hedgehogitchy4

HERE ROLE FOR CHARACTER

George as smg4

George because smg4 is golden reiver and energetic and nerd but his personality is different from George he is bisexual so going put him as bisexual boy and i give him scar from it gotta be perfect it gave him trauma from it and his age will be different from canon age his is 15 year old

Harold as smg3

I know that smg3 is like smg4 as arch enemy and like men but i ship Smg34 he like boom and stuff and he tsudere so going change Harold personality to into tsudere to yandere but kind he have arch enemy to George after lawsuit he big fan of george youtube channel and he like boom and adorable stuff don’t undermined him he have scar were youtube arc and have trauma of his past sleve and his age is same George his is 15 have big crush on George but is just au and shortie

Sonic as mario

Well for sonic in au his dumb and foster big brother of George but George is adpot he like chill dog just like mario and he abuse tails on gameshow and doesn’t care for him and he called talis as gay because he like men and his dumb because George usb pod and keep insulting amy and he like joke and game aswell he have healthy relationship to dressy and limey that he and erica were just siblings and scar he have is left eye by revelation arc

Erica as meggy

A octoling girl from inkpolis city she is fighter and competitive and fight with sonic he annoying her much before she becomes human she is agent 8 she care for her crew and she older that George and harold and dressy her age is 22 and she get annoyed by sonic she like noodle and like paint gun just George and harold she doesn’t have scar from her octoling fot

and inlove dressy and jessica but she shy to came out yet and she tallest of them

Dressy as tari

A shy cyborg from meta runner and in au she have tari personality she is shy and introverted person she like video games and smash brother and she care of everyone and duck and have lesbian for erica and jessica she too scared to came out yet and she have scar from her past she cyborg before after replacing her limb and he cyborg arm can talk her like the episode my goes psycho and she have strength of rejection virtual

Jessica as saiko

I don’t know about saiko and jessica jessica is kinda mean girl and saiko is badass and rock metal lover so change her personality is ok her sophie will put different role so she alone but her sophie one is kaizo and so can rock on her shoe but don’t underrated her she is badass girl and most strong one in world she yet to be tall she form group call k2s

Other sophie as melonly

A lime girl who is tall and she like sleepy and her name is limely and she had boyfriend before you know who is it and she personality is different from canon she like sleepy and childlike she lime girl and have glass scar from deity mask and her father is sonic?! And like chonk plushie

Bo as axol

A inkpolis and axolot and have crush on limey and but die from nile he personality is much different from canon he overprotective for limey and simp for limey he got sacrificed to stop nile to killed everyone and he always remembers by everyone

Melvin as shromy

A scout boy and mashroom is joining group and he do activities of scout boy will do his personality is different from canon series and can get angry if someone keep insult him and have airgun he join anti cast before he recovers now he like bagel and like outdoor and stick

Sophie one as kaizo

Kaizo and her she anime girl from kevin school she like rock and friend with Jessica together with her k2s she help Jessica and crew fight villain now but she got other job and her age is different she is 20 years old and rebel girl

Gooch as boopkins

A fish creature and anime lover is here to your service he like anime and stuff he had little brother and dad he crush on jessica before after she became lesbian and badass he cared for friends he best friends is Stanley peet and scared for he friends die his dad care for him and jubjub

Stanley as bob

A weird robe rapper dude and want more boobie and swear a lot he rapper and his lived on trash and a hobo never knew his parents his best friend is gooch and best good friend to him and not to other he roast them lot and never ask poper for girls

Professor poopypants as tv adware/ mr puzzle

A tv villain who gave trauma on crew and sonic enemy in igbpt he one gave George a weird keyboard who possessed him and in western spaghetti he one put everyone in simulated and he everywhere in show

That it i will make classic gang and anti crew ok

[robinswrites]

WIP: Hyperspace Raptor

It's a retro pulp sci-fi novel, but queer!

15 years ago, Karo Jaak--then going by a different name--was an idealist. 15 years ago, he and his small group of loyal friends believed they could end injustice forever. 15 years ago, he led the revolution to a glorious victory--and then everything went wrong. Near-fatally injured in the battle that led to the rebels' victory, Karo was in a coma for months, his life only saved by advanced cybernetic implants. He woke up to find that the rebels had won--and then turned on each other, rumours of betrayal flying, friends killing friends. Several of the rebel leaders were missing, presumed killed. Others are fugitives. And a mysterious woman whose real name and past are entirely unknown has declared herself Empress. The Galaxy falls into tyranny, and Karo goes on the run, living for years as a smuggler and a fugitive. He's changed a lot in the past 15 years: new name, new gender, and a newfound disillusionment with heroic causes and ideals. But as tensions between humans and the Galaxy's various alien species grow, and rumours spread that the android labourers used throughout human civilisation are planning a rebellion of their own, Karo is contacted by a mysterious alien who wants him to take up the rebel cause again and fix the mistakes of the past.

FEATURING:

TRANS MAN PROTAGONIST

FOUND FAMILY REBEL CREW

ANDROIDS FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY

VARIOUS ALIEN CULTURES (all of which see gender differently)

SPACE BATTLES: LASER GUNS, PLASMA SWORDS, AND EXPLOSIONS

PODCATS (a creature I invented thanks to a typo--sadly I can no longer find the original message so don't know whose typo it was, so can't properly credit them...)

ELECTRIC SHARKS (that make your brain fall out? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23VI35X6cmA because while I know Lux isn't singing "shark" I can't unhear it)

This is the novel I've been working on in some form or another since I was about 14. At that age, I had big ideas, but a lot of things holding me back: for one, I was reading a lot of websites that insisted that Serious Hard Science Fiction was the only good form of science fiction and was trying to force my ideas into that mould even though most of the stories I loved and that had inspired me to write were not that at all; I also believed everything had to be a trilogy, even when I really only had enough plot for one book; and let's face it, I was 14 and didn't have the life experience or skill to tell the story I wanted to tell.

But I loved the characters I'd created and the world they lived in enough that I couldn't just abandon the idea forever. So now it's back, being entirely rewritten, and this time I fully intend to finish and publish it.

Character intros coming soon!

[electronickingdomfox]

"Pawns and Symbols" review

Novel from 1985, by Majliss Larson. An agricultural scientist is kidnapped by Klingons, and she goes on agricultural adventures in the Empire, while her experiences among Klingons are... not that bad, really.

This is one of those novels where the main character is a new introduction, and the Enterprise crew gets the back seat. It's also one of those that present a much more sympathetic portrayal of Klingons. (So that cover blurb totally lies: neither the Klingons are hungry for war, nor Kirk is there all that much). Granted, they still have their agonizers and authoritarian system, but it's rather a case of some rotten individuals or factions creating the problems, while the Klingons as a whole are viewed just as a different, more primitive culture, that feels as threatened by the Federation, as the Federation feels by them. It all boils down to a mutual misunderstanding. At times, in fact, you almost forget they're Klingons, since their behavior is remarkably "human". There are some details about their religion and language, which are a bit weird in certain cases (some of the names sound more Elvish than Klingonese, for example). And their society is also very sexist, to varying degrees depending on the planet. This is one of the major blockades that the heroine encounters and rebels against. I'm not sure why the novels seem to collectively agree that Klingons and Romulans, in particular, are so sexist (I don't remember any such suggestion in the series), but alright. On the other hand, the brief scenes with the Enterprise crew have just a loose connection with the main plot, and may feel disjointed (sometimes, hilariously out-of-character too). However, I found them kind of fun, like some sketch inserted in the middle.

The main character, Jean Czerny, has balls of steel, but is also compassionate and intelligent, despite her occasional short temper. I think she was a likable character, flawed enough so as not to be taken for a Mary Sue. Other character that gets much focus is Kang (the Klingon commander from Day of the Dove). He's not exactly good, not exactly sympathetic, but we can see the reasons why he's doing what he's doing, and there's a certain honor in his actions. Aernath, Jean's friend and a Klingon pretty-boy, is also a complex, interesting character.

So, overall, I kind of liked this story. It doesn't have outstanding writing, and it's not one of the best, but it was a change-of-pace that still manages to feel Trek.

Spoilers under the cut:

Jean Czerny is experimenting with a new type of quadrotriticale in Sherman's planet (from The Trouble with Tribbles), when an earthquake leaves her trapped and the sole survivor at the research station. Klingon commander Kang receives a distress signal and rescues her. But upon learning she's developing a new, more resistant strain of the grain, he refuses to hand her over the Enterprise. As is the Klingon custom, if you save somebody's life, that person and property belongs to the rescuer. Kirk is forced to return to Sherman's planet, as he's trespassing into Klingon territory after pursuing Kang; however, during the brief communication with the Klingon ship, he notices there's something wrong with Czerny's memory. At first, Jean refuses to collaborate with the Klingons and unlock the container of the new quadrotriticale. The Klingons try to force her through starvation, but Aernath, a kinder-than-average Klingon, brings her food in secret. When Kang discovers this treason, he threatens to kill Aernath, but Jean, having befriended him during the past days, stops Kang with the promise of her collaboration. As she has saved Aernath's life, now he's also bonded to her as "property".

Meanwhile, the Enterprise is being diverted by several incidents with the Klingons: first, troops stationed at Sherman's planet attack the landing party that's working at the destroyed facility; then, the ship is lured by a distress signal. Kirk concludes that the Klingons are just staging these incidents to keep them away from Czerny. There are also some fun domestic scenes among the landing party, like Uhura singing a song about Cyrano Jones, or Scotty being great at cooking.

Back with Jean, they've reached the Klingon capital planet (strangely named "Tahrn"), and Kang brings her to a ceremony to present her to the Emperor. While going through the streets, she notices many Klingons with signs of famine, and then understands why Kang needed the quadrotriticale: a plague has destroyed their main crops, and only this new grain is resistant enough to feed the population. Jean gets angry at Kang for not having just explained the situation, as she's willing to do anything to prevent the famine, now that she knows about it. For the following days, Jean and Aernath (who's also an agricultural scientist) work in the development of crops at the capital. She also learns that Kang is going to become the next emperor. While his wife Mara, having developed pro-Federation sentiments after the events of Day of the Dove, has deserted him and gone into hiding.

With their work on Tahrn completed, they stop next at Klairos, a inhospitable planet, where women are also treated very poorly. Hoping to give Jean some sort of protection by means of improving her status, Kang makes her his consort (though he still treats her rather as a servant/slave). Again, Jean completes her work with the crops, saving in the process a caste-less girl from going into some sort of labor camps.

Another cut to the Enterprise. This time, they find a destroyed Romulan ship, with a single survivor that escaped to the nearby planet by shuttle. McCoy and Chekov try to reason with the Romulan, a woman named Reena, but she's terrified by the stories she's heard about the Federation. In a panic, she launches an explosive from the shuttle, which attaches itself to the Enterprise screens and initiates a detonation countdown. As only a Romulan can deactivate the device, McCoy tries some psychology with her (first being casually kind around Reena to gain her trust, and later... bitch-slapping her in the face). McCoy's reasoning is that, as the Romulan will be killed for treason in her Empire if she just deactivates the explosive, they need to give the impression that she was tortured beyond endurance. They bring her aboard the Enterprise, and Spock mind-melds with her, to erase the memory of the "horrible, horrible tortures". After that, Reena agrees to deactivate the explosive. (Also, McCoy's new telekinetic assistant decides to pour a basin of water over his head, just for the lulz). Meanwhile, Chekov and Reena have fallen in love. Yeah, this author has a bit of an obsession about giving EVERYONE a love interest... But anyway, Reena has to depart. In the aftermath of this incident, Kirk discovers that the Romulan ship was destroyed by Klingons (another diversion), and receives a message from Starfleet, that locates Jean at the planet Peneli.

In Peneli, Kang demands the surrender of Mara, who's hiding somewhere there, in exchange for Jean's help against the famine. Aernath, who's been secretly loyal to Mara all this time, averts this by bringing Jean to Mara instead. The rebels have formed a secret organization that desires peace with the Federation. As leverage to force Kang into negotiations, Mara wants to deliver her son Aethelnor (that Kang hasn't met yet) to the Federation. Jean and Aernath are thus tasked with bringing the child into Federation territory.

From here, Jean, Aernath and the kid escape to the planet Tsorn, where women are forced to wear a kind of burka in public. Their contact there, to arrange the trip into Federation space, doesn't show up. But Jean receives a telepathic message from a little, strange animal, which urges them to follow it. The creature brings them to a restaurant, where they're greeted by a Romulan scholar, who's actually... Spock! Through a mind-meld with Jean and Aernath, Spock is informed about the situation, and establishes a temporary link with them. Spock has arranged transport on Cyrano Jones' ship (selling tribbles in the Klingon empire!?). But right before getting aboard, the spaceport guards identify Jean as an alien, despite the burka, and detain her. Spock uses his link with Aernath to force him into Cyrano's ship with the child, as there's nothing they can do for Jean right now.

Jean suffers under the agonizer of the guards. However, through the link, Spock had induced cardiac arrests on her every time the agonizer was used, to spare her the torture (okay, Spock, that's dangerous...). Finally, Kang is informed of Jean's detention and rescues her, though he's very displeased by their plot to force negotiations. Together with Mara, they depart to Sherman's planet, where those negotiations are being prepared.

There's another Enterprise interlude here, where Aernath and Aethelnor get used to living among humans. Sulu gives some shitty indications for Aernath to find a supply room, and the Klingon ends up wandering into a restricted area by accident. Security doesn't believe him, and a few minutes later they're already hitting the poor Klingon (maybe the terrifying stories about the Federation were real after all). McCoy and Spock suspect something is amiss, so they conduct several experiments on Aernath, and conclude that Klingons are color-blind for red, while seeing several colors in the UV range. That's why Aernath hadn't seen the RESTRICTED letters on the door (well, maybe they could have like... locked the damn door, right?).

The final part has Kang having a rendezvous with Kirk to discuss the peace arrangements, during which he presents an hilariously long list of all of Kirk's offenses to the Klingon empire (all of them true, in fact). Anyway, they reach a satisfactory agreement. Kang is reunited with his son and makes amends with his wife. He also frees Jean of her consort status. Aernath and Jean will stay at Sherman's planet developing the quadrotriticale, but Kang makes an offer to Jean to come visit the Empire as her distant relative, if she wishes so, as he has come to respect her as a "worthy Klingon".

There's still the bit about Jean's memory loss that was hinted at throughout the novel. During one of the peace conversations, some of Kirk's words trigger her memories. And it turns out she was a secret agent all along, tasked precisely with the mission of helping the Klingons against the famine (which she inadvertently ended up doing, anyway). The whole stuff is kind of contrived and unnecessary, though.

Spirk Meter: 1/10*. A minimal thing about Kirk not liking to be without his First Officer for long, and Spock feeling the same.

At the very, very end, there's also a Spones moment, where McCoy teases Spock about liking cute creatures like tribbles, and then gives him as a gift one of those telepathic animals that he used with Jean. It's said that McCoy went to great lengths to acquire it, once he learned about Spock's fascination with the creature, and that Spock's face was ample reward for his efforts. Ah, yeah, McCoy also kisses his assistant, absolutely out of nowhere. The assistant's description? Pointy ears and telepathic abilities. It's almost as if he had a type...

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[coffeeangelinabox]

Whumpril #3: Shame

The flush burns like passing too close to a solar flare, a flash fire under his skin and scouring all but the feeling of his racing heart and the flames of heat reddening his face. He's apologised, he's begged, and all on his own bridge: his friends and crew and lover watching in silent, horrified silence. But this-

"Well?" The Domain officer on the view screen demands sharply.

At least he's been allowed to move to his private quarters. He knows the others think that mean that he'll be- He'll be honest, that's what he'd been expecting too.

Is this worse? He can't do it. Or...shouldn't. Darrow would let them blow him out of the sky first and had taught him the same. Death before dishonour. He knows better.

And yet.

He always thought he would face death chin up and smirking. He'd grown up with it, lived with it. Hadn't he seen the worst humanity could do to each other since he was a child? He's always been willing to die for his (Darrow's) cause.

But that thought and the actual reality of a missile one order away are very different things.

His sensors had been knocked out early enough into the battle that he's not even sure what the Domain ship is carrying. Will it be a concussive charge? Something that will knock out their engines and what little life support they have and leave them drifting until they choke on their own exhalations? Or a solid shot like the cannonballs pirates out here in the dark like to shoot - something that will punch through their hull sucking them out into the space and cold to implode or freeze? If it's a warship, it'll have a standard battery of lazers. Without shields, his precious ship could easily be turned into an oven. In the ice of space enough to bake them slowly. Torturously.

A variety of ways to die and each one more horrible to contemplate than the last.

This isn't-

When he left the Valjean he had wanted to make a difference, wanted to take the fight to the Domain, wanted free of Darrow's hit and run and hide tactics. He'd wanted to do something real. Like a fool.

Like a child.

"Well?" the officer orders again, and when Lee still doesn't answer, throat merely clicking on a dry swallow, he turns to someone off screen and snaps out, "Ready a volley."

"No. Wait." It's not an order. It's another plea and this one of his own volition, not scripted words given by someone else.

The officer raises a single finger, halting whoever he is talking to at his own weaponry control. He looks at Lee, mouth pursing in what could be impatience. Or amusement.

Either way, the words tumble over themselves. Like dirt and glass in his mouth, but unstoppable as vomit. "I- I'll do it. I'll send the distress signal. I'll-"

He stops again, panting through the wave of horror at what he's helplessly offering.

"You'll give me Darrow."

"I- Yes."

Darrow will come for him. No matter what terms they parted on. He thinks of the man as a father - rebelled for exactly that reason - and knows it is returned.

"And in return?"

Hatred boils alongside the shame. He must know, must know it is terrible mortal fear that has led Lee to this. He just wants him to say it. Still, it's a small concession after everything else this man has seen him do.

"I...I want to live."

"You? Not your crew?"

Fear flashes into Lee's eyes. "I...I mean. My ship. I want-"

The officer shrugs, careless and languid. "I don't care what you want. You give me Darrow and I'll teleport you out before I blow the rest of your pitiful wreck to atoms. With all aboard her. At least it'll be quick." The mock empathy burns.

Lee bows his head. He can't agree to this, of course he can't. To be rescued from certain death at the expense of the the friends who followed him. Everyone he has ever admired would rather go down with their ship than be a cowardly, traitorous lapdog to some minor border patrolling Lieutenant. He'll fight. Die the hero he has always wanted to be. "And the Valjean?" his lips say, completely of their own volition. Implicit acceptance.

"Oh, it will be destroyed alongside you. At least your crew will have company for their deaths. Excepting Darrow, of course. The Domain wants him alive. Mindwiped to our point of view he would be a formidable blow to the morale of your pitiful rebellion."

Darrow won't let that happen. He'll kill himself first. He's not the coward Lee is.

"Of course," the officer blithely continues as though he's reading his thoughts. "If Darrow dies before I have him in custody, our bargain is null and void. Your job will be to lure him aboard my cruiser. Otherwise, I'm sure I can find some inventive and prolonged ways to overcome my disappointment."

His salacious tone makes Lee shudder.

This is a plan, isn't it? A ruse? Something to catch the Domain ship between him and the Valjean; to hunt him with Darrow as they always have? But the fear twanging along his nerves belies the thought. He fears to move against this man the way a mouse fears to strike even at a sleeping cat.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," he rasps out, a bare whisper. Yes, if it saves his life...No amount of self hatred can override that survival instinct. "Yes. I..." If nothing else, this man is sadistic, has enjoyed Lee's subjugation, and that he can give. "Yes. Anything. Spare me and I'll help you kill my crew and destroy Darrow."

Most damningly of all, the blush has faded. His blush doesn't even tremble.

It's a transaction, like any other. No matter what it rips out of him to cut it.

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 2 Match 15

More info below:

Rojka 'Kasaan:

Debuted in Halo: Envoy (previously mentioned in "Oasis" of Halo: Fractures)

Born April 14th, 2494 on the colony of Glyke, he formed a close bond with Daga 'Rathum in youth and eventually joined him in the Covenant reserve units; his dreams of becoming a Shipmaster in the military being unfulfilled as he instead helped rebuild and refurbish warships until the end of the Covenant. Following Operation: SUNSPEAR in 2552, Glyke would be destroyed by Spartan Gray Team using a NOVA bomb. Upon hearing of his homeworld's destruction, Rojka would take control of the fleet he was tasked with repairing and travel to the ruins to see for himself and monitor activity in the system. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam would ask him to not seek revenge against humanity - severing the carefully built peace in the process - and instead directed him to the abandoned human colony of Carrow, which the Sangheili named "Rakoi". Learning to think positively on this new opportunity, he would become the Kaidon of the newly founded city of Rak. Sometime later, however, the human colonists that had once lived on Carrow returned, alongside other migrant refugees from the war. Tensions over sharing the planet emerged, with Rojka attempting to maintain peaceful co-existence whilst his cousin Thars 'Sarov rallied an anti-human rebellion. An envoy named Melody Azikiwe would be sent to help with the situation; around the same time, Rojka detected a human signal in his former system and recovered the sleeping Spartans that had destroyed his old home. He would keep them on his ship whilst he debated killing them or using them as a bargaining chip.

A peace summit would be schedule, but the day before it was set to happen, Thars would go on the attack. With long-ranged communications down and no slipspace capable vessels, Rojka was forced to engage the rebels in a space battle above the planet. As a Jiralhanae fleet came to aid Thars, Rojka began losing the battle and prepared to be boarded by the enemy. Melody - who was also on board - would refuse an offer to be killed before the enemy could reach her and argue for the release of Gray Team. When she was refused, she went off to secretly release them herself whilst Rojka was distracted by the thoughts of each of his friends dying one by one alongside their ships. He would soon realize Melody's plan and move to stop her, but he was too late - the Spartans were awake and fended him off, forcing his retreat while they escaped the ship. Previously willing to allow Thars a final stand within the ship, he changed plans to go follow Gray Team to Carrow's surface; at the same time, he witnessed the beginning of the Jiralhanae's betrayal of Thars. Unfortunately, his ship would crash and an assassination attempted by some within his own ranks; but he endured, taking half of his surviving crew to pursue Melody and Gray Team. In his absence, the crash site would be attacked by Thars' forces. Eventually, Rojka would discover ONI's hidden base, Gila Station, where Thars would also catch up with him with an offer: Thars would allow Rojka to go in to kill Gray Team before Thars would finally finish him off, avoiding conflict with the UNSC by pretending the attack was done by Covenant remnants. Both cousins would attempt to break their side of the deal. Within Gila Station, Melody convinced Rojka that there was a bigger threat the Jiralhanae were planning to unleash; deciding to hold off on revenge against Gray Team, Rojka instead escaped Gila Station as it was destroyed, sending some warriors to go distract Thars. Later, he would help in the fight against the released Sharquoi at Suraka and the attempted assassination against the Jiralhanae leader controlling them, Hekabe. In the process, he would become injured, but would survive the close encounters with the Sharquoi. As he escaped the destruction of Suraka and all the Sharquoi gathered there, the mourned the loss of Daga, who died during the battle. Once at a safe location, Rojka would convince Thars to duel him by offering to hand over Gray Team - in reality, he, the Spartans, and Melody were plotting an ambush. Rojka would overpower his cousin, but at first kept him alive - they needed Thars to notify his forces of an incoming Sharquoi attack, to avoid the creatures obtaining Thars' remaining ships. When Thars refused to listen and the Sharquoi successfully captured both human and Sangheili ships, Rojka would decapitate him. Then, he went on to aid in the next attempt on Hekabe's life. He and a Surakan militia squad entered the Forerunner facility where Hekabe was hiding, with Rojka launching himself directly at the Sharquoi and getting grievously injured in the process. He would also get attacked by Hekabe once Governor Ellis Gass successfully removed the vertex controlling the Sharquoi from Hekabe's head. Finally, he would be immobilized by Sharquoi now under Ellis' command, who warned them to leave as she would detonate a nuke that would destroy the entire facility in ten minutes. During the escape, the injured Rojka lagged behind the others, but ultimately was able to escape and be picked up by a rescue Pelican. With all the conflicts on Carrow finally ended, Rojka would heal and return home, where he would find the new Kaidon Akato 'Dakaj who warned Rojka that he had little support in Rak now due to all the loss from the conflicts. Now grown and moving pass his previous grievances, Rojka accepted the offer to become Akato's envoy towards humanity.

Xytan 'Jar Wattinree:

Debuted in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx

Born on April 20, 2488 and growing to be 11.6 ft tall, Xytan would rise to the rank of Imperial Admiral and gain a popularity that the Hierachs felt threatened by. Because of this, he would be assigned to lead the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose at the fringes of Covenant-controlled space, missing most of the Human-Covenant war in the process. However, upon the Great Schism, he would be able to rally over two hundred Sangheili shipmasters at Saepon'kal, with the ambition of creating a new Sangheili-led Covenant. Unlike the separatists under Thel 'Vadam, his group retained faith in the Covenant religion and intended to continue the war against humanity after dealing with the Jiralhanae and San'Shyuum. He intended to draw the Jiralhanae leadership into an ambush at Saepon'kal, but soon he was convinced by then shipmaster Voro 'Mantakree to deal with the outbreak of Glood on Installation 05. Although, seeing the shipmaster as a potential rival, he would rename him Voro Nar 'Mantakree, give him the position of Fleetmaster of the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity, and ordered him to lead an attack on the shield world Onyx - doing to Voro what the Hierachs had done to him. Yet ironically, he helped ensure Voro outlived him, as seconds after Onyx invaders' departure, a captured NOVA bomb would accidentally be detonated, obliterating a majority of the Xytan's fleet, significant portions of Saepon'kal's surface, the planet's moon of Malhiem, and Xytan himself. His legacy would still live on, as shipmasters would continue to study his battle tactics while his daughter - Meduu the Fierce - violently took hold of his property holdings.

Submitted propaganda: BIG!!! Also he's basically the coolest most galaxy-brained guy ever. He got too popular for the Prophet's liking, but was too competent and smart to ever actually fuck up, making it impossible to execute or Arbiter-fy him. So the Prophets just sent him to patrol fringe space in the hopes that people would forget how smart and awesome he is.

[paxesoterica]

Some Thoughts About the First 3 Episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam [0079] Part 1

*There are spoilers for 0079 (obviously), but also a few for The Witch from Mercury as well, so bear that in mind.

*For folks who have only watched The Witch from Mercury, and no other Gundam shows, you should be aware that in 0079, the space colonies are rebelling against the rule of Earth, and that the Gundam in this show does not have systems that hurt its pilot.

*The opening is "Tobe! GUNDAM", and while the lyrics and tune are obviously different, the music has an anthemic quality that reminds me of the GUND-Arm, Inc. promo video, and I wouldn't be surprised if the former inspired the latter.

*“A half century has passed since humanity began moving…its burgeoning population into space. These gigantic space cities orbiting the Earth…became a second home to humanity…where people were born and raised…and where they died.”

*I think the opening for Mobile Suit Gundam is strong, and still holds up well today, though I wish it wasn’t repeated in future episodes (it’s understandable though as a cost-saving measure).

*The space colony cities in the show are based on O’Neill cylinders; they, and a lot of Gundam’s other space colonization concepts, such as Lagrange points, are based on the work of physicist Gerard K. O’Neill and his book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space (written in 1976, so about 3 years before MSG).

*The Principality of Zeon, who initiated the war with Earth and committed multiple atrocities, are mentioned as being headquartered in Side 3, which is located at Lagrange 2, behind the moon; while it's not mentioned in the wiki, this is also where Quiet Zero is located in The Witch from Mercury (and I'm sure that's definitely not a cheeky reference to it being the 'dark side' of the Moon/ sarcasm).

*We start in space, with three mobile suits headed toward Side 7 to conduct a raid (a stark contrast to Suletta's start in The Witch from Mercury). These suits are of the MS-06 Zaku II model, and bear a resemblance to the MD-0031 Dilanza, both in terms of appearance, and in the sense that they're the 'grunt' suits of the show.

*You may have heard that MSG has some...interesting name choices, and this is already shown with two of the Zaku pilots being named 'Slender' and 'Denim'. Regardless of how silly they might sound, it does make them a bit more memorable than you might expect, given that one of them ends up dying at the end of the episode.

*The civilians of Side 7 have mostly evacuated, with a few exceptions.

*This is Fraw Bow, Amuro's friend, who will end up joining the White Base crew soon. Unlike some of the characters in 0079, I haven't encountered any major spoilers on her, so all I currently know is that she's both concerned about Amuro, but also exasperated by him.

*Also, it's Haro! (I had no idea they could do that). Haros are to Gundam what Chocobos and Moogles are to Final Fantasy; in the OG show, this one was invented by the main character, Amuro Ray. Speaking of...

*So, Amuro's the first Gundam pilot, which means that you'll see a lot of spoilers about him if you hang out long enough in any Gundam fandom space. All you need to know about him right now, is that while yes, he will become a famous pilot, at this time, he's a technical genius (with a strong interest in mechanics), who has no piloting skills, and a very messy room. So, basically the opposite of the latest Gundam protagonist, Suletta...but *very* similar to another character...

*It's been mentioned by others before (@daisukoth in particular, has done multiple posts about it) that Amuro and Miorine have a number of qualities in common, so I'm making it a point to note whenever I observe similarities between the two, such as not being very observant of their surroundings when they're focused on work (Miorine is *very* lucky that she's not *quite* as disastrous as Amuro is in terms of love, but we'll get into that more later on).

*This is Hayato Kobayashi. I know even less about him than I do about Fraw, but he'll also be joining the White Base crew. He might have some resentment toward Amuro, since Amuro's dad is a military engineer working on a secret project that's attracted hostile attention from Zeon soldiers. And since we're talking about Amuro's dad:

*Yup. Amuro and Miorine both have distant fathers who are bad at communicating with their child. I'd *like* to believe the elder Ray isn't as bad a father as Delling, but we'll get into that next time.

...to be continued in Part 2