#chass x yrica

[vulpes115]

My Top 5 of Star Wars Ships

W/W Ships

1. Sabé/Padmé Amidala (Queen’s Trilogy)

2. Yrica Quell/Chass Na Chadic (Alphabet Squadron)

3. Sabine Wren/Shin Hati (Ahsoka)

4. Zeen Mrala/Lula Talisola (The High Republic Adventures)

5. Ahsoka Tano/Barriss Offee (Clone Wars)

M/M Ships

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi/Cody (Clone Wars)

2. Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb Orrelios (Rebels)

3. Tey Sirrek/Vildar Mac (High Republic Phase II)

4. Poe Dameron/Finn (Sequel Trilogy)

5. Luke Skywalker/Din Djardin (The Mandalorian)

M/W Ships

1. Ciena Ree/Thane Kyrell (Lost Stars Novel)

2. Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso (Rogue One)

3. Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla (Rebels)

4. Merrin/Cal Kestis (Jedi Video Games)

5. Han Solo/Leia Organa (Original Trilogy)

I also want to give a shout to the Firebrands throuple from the High Republic of Stellan Gios, Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann, they are my main Star Wars ship but I didn’t have enough other throuples I had strong feelings about to make a specific list just for them, but I love those three with my whole heart

[femmefighter]

Most underrated Star Wars character?!

I feel like there are so many. However, I have to go with a favourite from one of my favourite Star Wars books:

Yrica Quell from the Alphabet Squadron trilogy.

Queer woman in her early 20s, Quell was an impressive TIE fighter pilot of the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing of the Galactic Empire, but defected to the New Republic after her first mission in Operation: Cinder.

Under the command of Intelligence officer Caern Adan and New Republic General, Hera Syndulla, Quell is given command of the newly formed Alphabet Squadron. Their mission: to hunt down her old TIE fighter squadron - Shadow Wing.

Through Quell's narration, the reader is given a fascinating insight into life within the Empire, and how an average person of normal standing morals could be entrapped in the entanglements of serving the Emperor's cruel dictatorship. Furthermore, Quell develops an affection for one of her female subordinates, the aggressive Theelin B-wing pilot, Chass na Chadic. However, Quell keeps a secret from her new squadron that, if revealed, could undermine the fragile morale of her crew and even jeopardise their mission.

The Rules:

Every twenty-four hours there will be another round. After every round, the character in last place will be eliminated.

If there are multiple characters tying for last place, there will be a special elimination round. In these rounds, every character in last place will be eliminated, even if all the characters have tied equally.

When there are only two characters remaining, they will face off against one another in a week-long poll to determine the victor.

...and now for something completely different! Rather than voting for options that have already been chosen by me, you get to pick the options that will be included in this poll from Round Two onward. Please reply or reblog this post with the underrated character you'd like to include in this poll.

This is all for fun. Don’t take it too seriously ;)

This poll is all about underrated and underappreciated characters! Whether it's a great character that you feel was underused, or a recurring or main character that never got the fandom they deserved, now is the time to show them some love!

Happy voting!

-Jesse xx

[starwarstoxicfemslash]

World Series of Toxic Femslash

[starwarspilotstournament]

Would it be possible to learn what pilots were already submitted so as to not submit them again? Or do you want to save that till the actual poll starts

I wasn't planning on making a post about this, but since you asked...

Pilots that have already been submitted:

Hera Syndulla

Wedge Antilles

Anakin Skywalker

Biggs Darklighter

Corran Horn (X-Wing novels)

Shara Bey

Carth Onasi (Knights of the Old Republic)

Tech

Luke Skywalker

Grogu

Atton Rand (Knights of the Old Republic)

Greer Sonnel (Bloodline novel)

Nien Nunb

Sabine Wren

Poe Dameron

R2D2

Wyl Lark (Alphabet Squadron novels)

Yrica Quell (Alphabet Squadron novels)

Chass Na Chadic (Alphabet Squadron novels)

Soran Keize (Alphabet Squadron novels)

Sylvestri Yarrow (The High Republic)

Ciena Ree (Lost Stars)

Jaina Solo

Leox Gyasi (Star Wars: High Republic)

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas & Ferb/Star Wars crossover)

Plo Koon

Bodhi Rook

Lando Calrissian

Dak Ralter (Empire Strikes Back)

Col Takbright (A New Hope)

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 1): General Bracket Match 50

Chass na Chadic | Identity: bisexual | Media: Alphabet Squadron Trilogy

Chass na Chadic was raised in the cult the Inheritors of the Crystal. When she was young, she fled the cult, becoming a “rim rat”, struggling to navigate the Empire due to not having sufficient documentation and being an alien. Inspired by Jyn Erso, who saved her life, she joined the Cavern Angels (surviving members of Saw’s Partisans). As the sole survivor, she joined the New Republic/Alliance Hound Squadron. In a chase through the Ordiol Cluster after the Battle of Endor by Shadow Wing, she was once again the sole survivor, due to Wyl Lark saving her, something she despised. During that chase, she also had a flirtation with the male Ishi Tib Sata Neek. 

She was recruited into Alphabet Squadron, due to her history with Shadow Wing. Their B-Wing pilot, she was brash and aggressive. She liked to fly to music, of which she had an extensive collection of- a lot of it banned. Chass never saw herself surviving the war, thinking of herself as destined to be a martyr. With some genre awareness, she became unmoored post-Endor, as anyone who died then was a fool rather than a hero. During the Siege of Triothe, she became involved with the Children of the Empty Sun cult and found their beliefs seductive. Even after escaping from the cult, she became post-ironically religious- her music replaced by sermons and prayers. 

Prickly to everyone, once Yrica Quell’s actions in Operation Cinder and her seeming betrayal was revealed, her previous sexual tension with the woman became a rage filled obsession. She went AWOL to chase after Quell and bring her back to the New Republic. This mission ended up with the two women and Kairos (another squadron member) stranded on Kairos’ homeplanet, where they had a chance to bond. She flew in the battle of Jakku, where she was seriously injured and made disabled- becoming a cane-user. Her fears of a terrible life as a veteran weren’t entirely released, but she still struggled financially and with her mental health (including suicidal ideation). She went to Quell to demand a place to stay, and began to work with her as an in-system hauler. There she began a relationship with Quell, which combined with the stability of her new life, really helped her psyche heal. 

Sky Graf | Identity: non-binary | Media: The High Republic Quest for Planet X

Sky Graf was a young member of the wealthy Graf family. A year before the Night of Sorrow, their father went missing looking for Planet X. To prove themselves to their family and possibly find their father, they stole their older brother’s ship the Brightbird and deemed up with Dass Leffbruk (who had previously made it to Planet X) and the Jedi padawan Rooper Nitani to use a Force artifact to try to find Planet X during the great hyperspace race. The Force artifact brought them backwards through the planets Dass had recently visited, where they face challenges while also trying to outrun Sky’s brother. During their journey, they also had to take the Path of the Open Hand member Fel Ix as a hostage. Fel Ix began to break through his cult programming, and when the news of a possible battle between the Path and the Republic reached the crew of the Brightbird, he convinced Sky to give up the search for Planet X to travel to Dalna. Fel Ix succeeded by appealing to Sky’s connection with their father by pointing out how he was a father himself. Working with Fel Ix, Sky helped defeat the Graf code that was corrupting the communication buoys in the Dalna sector, preventing more violence during the Night of Sorrow. Their brother, Helis, eventually caught up with them. But the siblings were able to talk about their feelings and reconcile. The two of them would fly the Brightbird together and continue to prospect. But Sky would no longer chase their father’s ghost. Sky’s lifestyle was a combination of the hard and technical life of a pilot and hyperspace prospector combined with the luxury of their family’s level of wealth. They are very intelligent when it comes to science. They are confident, with a prickly exterior. They didn’t connect with Fel Ix the way Dass or Rooper did until the end, not wanting to try to understand the perspective of someone who tried to kill them. When things got serious, they showed a surprising capacity of violence and a willingness to do anything to achieve their goals. They only felt like they had unconditional love from their father, his disappearance driving them even further in conflict with their family. At the end of the book, they are more at peace, but still eager to make their own name separate from the Graf dynasty. Unusually for transgender characters in Star Wars, there is explicit discussion in their internal monolog about how they felt gender dysphoria when they started to go through puberty and how their father got them a binder.

[welcome-to-the-holonet]

[fulcrumstardust]

I'm so torn but voltage up was the one that caught my eye the most 👀

Well, you picked the only one that isn't rebelcaptain! 😂

Relationships: Chass na Chadic/Yrica Quell

Additional Tags: Alternative Universe - Canon Compliant, Bed Sharing, Blanket thief, Chass is a little messed up and a little wasted, but at least she’s hot, I hate you (horny), Lots of insubordination happening tonight, Explicit Sexual Content, The bunk scene we were robbed of,

Summary: Yrica Quell is infuriatingly pretty.

(The alphabet squadron besties know what scene I'm talking about lol. Living my best life with the 3 people shipping them, thank you. We need more lesbians smut <3)

[multifandomnonsense]

Quell: does anyone have a plan?

Chass: *raises hand*

Quell: one that doesn’t involve self sacrifice

Chass: *lowers hand*

[ladyvader1984]

Alphabet Squadron 3

Has anyone finished ABC Squad 3? I have so much to talk about!!!

[codyscommandpost]

Let's imagine Alphabet Squadron themed BF2 DLC!

Yrica Quell - T-65B X-Wing

Dual Proton Torpedoes

Astromech Repair

Survivor: Increases her ship's defence for a short period while also linking her laser cannons a la the normal X-wing's Quad Laser ability

Wyl Lark - RZ-1 A-Wing

Rider's High: Replaces Hard Lock, slows down time from Wyl's perspective for a short time

Dual Concussion Missiles

Afterburner

Nath Tensent - BTL-S3 Y-Wing

Ion Cannon Turret

Advanced Proton Bombs: Useful only on turrets or objectives, JDAM-like guided munitions that drop down and move toward a target

Astromech Repair

Chass na Chadic - A/SF-01 B-Wing

Ion Cannons: Like Slave I as opposed to the Y-Wing, with ion blasters firing alongside normal lasers

Attack Foils: Shift from horizontal to vertical orientation, increasing speed and weapons damage but disabling other Abilities for the duration

Dual Proton Torpedoes

In the Zone: Similar to Hard Lock, focusing on a single target and concentrating her firepower on it, accompanied by a change in music to a throbbing electronic house-type track

Kairos - UT-60D U-Wing

Pintle Turrets: Ion blaster cannons on both sides of the craft take aim at enemies while active

Heavy Laser Cannons: Like the Tri-Fighter, adds additional more powerful shots to your primary weapon for a short time

Proton Torpedo

Attack Foils: Sweeps S-foils to the rear position, increasing speed and primary weapon damage but disabling other Abilities till it wears off

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron-Review

Alexander Freed resurrects the X-Wing novel in Alphabet Squadron, a rousing and emotionally complex adventure that ranks among the best in the current canon.

(Review contains minor spoilers)

The second Death Star is destroyed. The Emperor is dead. The Empire is falling and its forces are scattered and desperate. For the first time since the Galactic Civil War began, the Alliance, now the New Republic, is winning. However, as a galactic government collapses and a scattered militia group begins to take its place, it turns out that the waning days of the war may be more chaotic than anyone anticipated. Among those caught in the chaos is Yrica Quell, a former Imperial TIE pilot of the infamous 204th Imperial Fighter Wing aka “Shadow Wing,” who herself just one of thousands of other former soldiers looking to escape to the otherside of a losing war. After Yrica attracts the attention of New Republic Intelligence agent Caern Adan, she is drafted into a makeshift working group to hunt down and eliminate her former wingmen, whom have become a major thorn in the burgeoning Republic’s side. Overseen by Adan, New Republic general Hera Syndulla, and a reprogrammed Imperial torture droid, Yrica helps to form a group of misfit and war addled pilots to help save the New Republic from dying before it even begins.

At Celebration Chicago, Alexander Freed said that he was inspired to write Alphabet Squadron by the classic Expanded Universe X-Wing novels written by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston. While Freed’s pilot focused narrative and thrilling action sequences are sure to evoke memories of this series, the book that Alphabet Squadron seems to brush shoulders with most after first read is Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy. Like Aftermath, Alphabet Squadron is the first in a trilogy following an ensemble of misfit characters in the waning days of the Galactic Civil War and the fallout of the Battle of Endor. Wendig’s trilogy always boasted an impressive scope and stylistically impressive prose, but the first installment of Aftermath struggled due to characters that failed to make an impression and an unfocused narrative. Each novel in the trilogy improved on the one that preceded it, but it is hard to deny that Aftermath got off to a rocky start. Conversely, while Alexander Freed’s dense prose may not appeal to some readers, Alphabet Squadron launches out of the gate with fully formed characters and a sense of purpose and place.

Like his previous Star Wars novel, Battlefront: Twilight Company, Freed excels in making the Galaxy Far, Far Away feel lived in. As previously mentioned, his dense writing style may turn off some readers, but it does an incredible job in helping this setting come to life. It’s clear that Freed put extensive thought into helping to realize a galaxy in this degree of turmoil. In the months immediately following the Battle of Endor, there truly wasn’t a seat of power in the galaxy as both The Empire and the New Republic are each in periods of transition and internal upheaval. The Empire finds itself lacking in direction and leadership and facing a long collapse that seems unlikely to turn in their favor. The New Republic must not only contend with forming a new government but transitioning from a guerilla military to an expansive force capable of finalizing a war it never really prepared to win. Alphabet Squadron in the process evokes such classic pieces of desperate military science fiction like Battlestar Galactica and even The Last Jedi. In the aftermath of such devastating canon events as Operation Cinder, Freed captures the fluctuating and unstable state of the galaxy with descriptive settings, well thought out dips into everyday life of the average galactic citizenry, and first and foremost the characters at its center.

As any good novel should do, it is truly the characters of Alphabet Squadron that make this book sing. Freed brings together an ensemble of damaged and diverse pilots to make up the titular Alphabet Squadron. Fittingly each of these characters not only feel as unique and varied as the ships they fly, but they all realistically bear the scars of beings who have spent their last years embroiled in war. For better and for worse, Freed frames much of the narrative around the reader and the characters gradually learning about the pasts and motives of the different pilots and their commanders. While Freed maintains a rotating third person limited point of view, it becomes quickly apparent that what we learn from each of the characters isn’t necessarily to be trusted. These are damaged people that are hiding things not only from their teammates but from themselves and it is this obscuring, while at times perhaps a bit too illusive, that adds a larger sense of discovery and engagement to a narrative that by and large follows the familiar “learning to work as a team” structure.

Of the five main characters, Yrica is undeniably the most intriguing and fraught. Unlike many classic Imperial defectors, Yrica joined after the Battle of Endor when Palpatine’s regime was already collapsing. While her motives for seeking out the New Republic are mostly self-serving, Freed succeeds at making Yrica a sympathetic protagonist, if an undeniably flawed one. Her narrative becomes one not only of finding a purpose or direction in a galaxy that wants nothing more than to cast her aside, but of deprogramming from fascist doctrine. “Think like a rebel,” becomes a mantra that carries its way not only in the cockpit but to the cantina, to her therapy sessions, and in learning to be a leader to her team.

The rest of Alphabet Squadron are similarly impressive. Nath Tensent is a classic Star Wars style rogue, a mix of pirate, rebel, and early Imperial defector, with a charisma that easily wins over reader and co-pilots alike. He’s the type of lovable bastard whose true intentions are often hard to read and frequently underhanded but nonetheless is capable of incredible moments of humanity and empathy for others.

Wyl Lark and Chass na Chadic hail from two formerly paired squadrons, whose long, tortured final mission takes up a large portion of the first act of the novel. Lark becomes Alphabet Squadron’s heart, bringing a boyish sense of naiveté but also empathy to his fellow pilots. Smartly, Freed knows how to show the dangers of this though and demonstrates how Lark’s inherent good nature sometimes leads to personal danger and overstepping his bounds in the care of his teammates. It avoids cynicism while also teaching the value in trusting the independence of others. In particular, this is demonstrated with Wyl’s relationship Chass na Chadic, the music blasting Theelin pilot, who joins Alphabet Squadron alongside him. Given their shared trauma and different manners of coping, Freed frames the frayed relationship between these two particular characters as a central arc of the book and it works well, especially given how well drawn both characters prove to be.

And Kairos? Kairos is the resident, silent badass. Cloaked in rags, armor, masks, and mystery, Kairos remains the closest to an enigma at the novel’s conclusion. What little we learn of her hints at a past filled with trauma and strife which not only comes about in cold mystery but short bursts of intense violence. She feels not unlike the fan favorite animated bounty hunter, Embo, with a dash of Wolverine-esque tragic past. It makes her brief moments where she opens up to the other members of Alphabet Squadron linger for pages afterward.

Even supporting cast members spark with their own sense of personality and life. Caern Adan tows the line between grandstating jackass and pragmatic foreward thinker in a way that makes him feel realistic if not empathetic. Chass and Wyl’s former squadmates before joining Alphabet Squadron shine through with individual quirks and personalities and their presence becomes particularly haunting and painful despite their relatively little time on the page. Even Adan’s mechanical assistant, an Imperial Torture Droid turned team therapist, is a standout with an unexpectedly endearing sense for emotional sensitivity.

Fans of Star Wars Rebels are also sure to enjoy Hera Syndulla’s meatier than expected role here. Freed paints a picture of a war weary Hera that is driven by duty and longs for the days of Ghost family. Her maternal caring for those under her command shines through and her moments of guidance to the Alphabet Squadron team rank as some of the most emotionally affecting beats of the novel as a whole. Those hoping to see Jason Syndulla or some of the other members of the Rebels may be disappointed, but any fan of the Spectre Two is sure to get a lot out of this book.

Freed also succeeds in bringing these characters into action. While his prose while the characters are grounded is often dense with detail and minutiae, Freed somehow finds an incredible balance when his characters step into the cockpit and begin fighting off TIE Fighters. Dogfights feel energetic and kinetic and Freed manages to block these with a sense of action and pacing that feels clear and exciting. Alphabet Squadron even gets creative in just how a squadron of five different types of ship would function and the resulting set pieces feel both imaginative and surprisingly practical. Given the strong work done to fleshing out these characters and their chaotic world in the quiet moments, it gives the beats where blaster bolts are flying and starships are exploding an extra oomph of tension and emotion.

It may not be immaculate, but Alphabet Squadron is a truly engrossing and affecting read. Between Freed’s incredible sense of setting to his well-drawn characters, it’s hard to find a more satisfying book in the current Star Wars canon and the wait for the next installment of this series in 2020 feels like an eternity away. The sequels may be ending this winter with The Rise of Skywalker, but the next great Star Wars trilogy may have already just started.

Score: A-

[vulpes115]

Just realized there’s two genres of lesbian Star Wars ships I have

1. Built on deep love and respect. Trust each other the most out of anyone. However even that isn’t enough, circumstances forced them apart, and they have to let the girl go for the sake of their job, life and a little bit for the mental health but a part of you still loves them despite everything and know you always will, it’s just right person wrong time

Ex: Sabédala, VelCinta, Barrisokka and Kaesoka, Blyla (I saw lesbian Blyla and transbian Bly and I’m obsessed now), Syl and Jordanna would fall into this but they stopped being disaster lesbians long enough to have actually fixed it

2. Started as enemies but felt a deep kinship despite that tension, slow burn, found their home in each other, despite everything going against them, including their own self-sabotaging, they are able to push through and make it work

Ex: WolfWren, Yrichass, Revan x Bastila, Saché x Yané, Aphra and Sana and/or Magna will probably end up here

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

The Rules:

Every twenty-four hours there will be another round. After every round, the character in last place will be eliminated.

If there are multiple characters tying for last place, there will be a special elimination round. In these rounds, every character in last place will be eliminated, even if all the characters have tied equally.

When there are only two characters remaining, they will face off against one another in a week-long poll to determine the victor.

...and now for something completely different! Rather than voting for options that have already been chosen by me, you get to pick the options that will be included in this poll from Round Two onward. Please reply or reblog this post with the underrated character you'd like to include in this poll.

This is all for fun. Don’t take it too seriously ;)

Time to say goodbye to Yrica Quell!

No gifs are available for her, unfortunately, so enjoy this X-Wing gif!

Round Five!

[girlbossk]

alphabet squadron thoughts

so it’s been a few days since alphabet squadron came out. like 4 days. and i read it the day it came out so i’ve had a little time to forget all the stuff i don’t really care about! so this post is about the stuff that i DO care about. also since i’m on mobile i can’t do a read more thingy so just like ignore this post if you’re reading the book and don’t want spoilers (or if you just. don’t care)

anyways here are the spoilers aka My Thoughts:

alphabet squadron

yrica quell

so this is like??? i guess the main protagonist if there’s a main protagonist?? she’s alphabet leader and flies the x-wing so i SHOULD like her but i don’t really

she’s an imperial defector from the 181st 204th imperial fighter wing aka shadow wing and they’re like the best of the best except they used to not really be except then they got a new leader who trained them good and they became the best

except she was lying about how she defected and im still a little confused about that but i definitely like the actual story better than the lie (but not because of yrica)

anyways she just wants to fly stuff and she has an interesting character i guess but... just don’t care i guess.

nath tensent

is a BASTARD

he’s the y-wing dude so i go in there disliking him and then he just lies and is selfish and is not a great dude

he killed the shadow wing leader tho which is good

but then he betrayed quell (for money) which is not good

earlier in the book also he tried to KILL quell

i like quell better than him!!!

also he’s tragic because his entire squadron died awhile ago but that happened to all of them actually so whatever nath ur not special

kairos

she’s a mystery!! she’s cool!!

buuuuuuuut i don’t really care deeply about the mystery behind her

i do like her though. she isn’t my favorite but she is an interesting character who basically looks like a mummy with a helmet (??) BUT she smells good apparently

she flies the u-wing which isn’t really a ship I care about?? but they are important because they carry people i guess??? better than a y-wing.

one time she turned off the copilot station when quell asked to fly and that was really funny

she tried to kill quell also

chass na chadic

chass!! was very good!!! until part three!!!

she’s an ALIEN and she has GREEN HAIR and she listens to SPACE MUSIC and she likes JYN ERSO

except in part three she wanted to just fight people instead of saving lives sooooooo i didn’t like that really

but also she has a personality that i like

she flies the b-wing which is better than the y-wing and that’s cool

her entire squadron ALSO died and she would’ve gone with them if it wasn’t for...

wyl lark

my FAVE

he’s a really good boy and i love him a ton

he’s so NICE and SWEET

and he flies the a-wing and i love a-wing pilots

he’s very good at piloting also and unlike chass in the big battle he tried to s a v e people

other good guys

it-o

THERAPY DROID!!! TORTURE DROID!!! G O O D DROID!!!!!

i didn’t particularly care for them while reading but after a few days im now in LOVE

actually one of my favorite characters really

caern adan

hes the same species as deathsticks guy 👀

also he’s!!! the intelligence liaison!!!!! so that’s cool!!!!!!

buuuuuut i don’t like him

he paid off nath to get info on quell which made me MAD

but he’s interesting!! so that’s... nice? i guess?

hera syndulla

she’s good

but i didn’t appreciate her appearance in the book as much as i could’ve because i haven’t seen rebels

so i don’t really have an opinion

quell’s droid. d6? maybe?

VERY GOOD DROID!!

was not made for this but DOING IT ANYWAY

tried to resign from the squadron to protect quell which was SO SWEET and i love this droid.

nath’s droid... t5?

i do NOT know these astromechs’ names.

kinda annoying but i love them

and also the scenes with both astromechs hanging out with wyl are SO SWEET

bad guys

“grandmother” whose real name i forget

honestly there’s not much to her character except she’s a tired old lady doing what she feels she has to do?

she calls the rebels separatists which. is sad honestly. because like the separatists were actually bad and the rebels are actually good and im not getting into that here because i have too much to say

there’s not really any more bad guys??? i mean there’s all of shadow wing but they’re not really CHARACTERS

except blink. blink was mean to wyl. i do not like blink.

so uh. random thoughts

when i first met the 204th imperial fighter wing aka shadow wing i thought “oh so this is the new 181st?” and when i first met keize i thought “oh so he’s the new soontir fel?” and... i wasn’t really proven wrong

the part with the jedi temple was pretty cool! there were all these fake stars and stuff and i really liked that because it was cool.

i REALLY LIKED quell’s real backstory because like the whole book i was actually interested in what the truth was & then it was revealed which was nice. though im actually still confused about what she said originally vs what she actually did and the only difference i actually figured out was that keize lived? which im here for

& continuing off that i was really confused about all the devon stuff because there was one chapter at the end of each section that had him in it and i was really confused by it??? because he seemed like just one random unimportant guy floating around and being pretty good but also unremarkable (and occasionally killing people, as you do in space) and then at the very end it was VERY GOOD and im mad i didn’t figure out who he was sooner but i did actually like him better than. nath and. actually just nath. but i think in book two im definitely gonna get waaaaay too attached to him because he’s basically like soontir fel 2.0 and im. very much liking that.

& continuing THAT in a new paragraph, i find myself thinking a very clear distinction between devon and keize, even though they’re the same person. like that was intended because devon is only shown as devon until the very last page but he’s doing all this stuff to help people like teaching them how to fight and convincing someone not to make a bomb. whereas keize is like. the best imperial pilot to ever pilot for the empire or whatever. and sure keize is supposedly honorable and a hero but those things were said by quell who’s like. an imperial apologist. which isn’t the best thing to be. but also like, i actually do like keize so like, whatever.

in conclusion, this has been a post.

[queer-starwars-bracket]

FAQ

What should I be judging characters on?

Whatever you want. How much you like the character. How good it is as representation. Some combination of the two. We just hope you take the time to read the description written for each character so that the non-movie characters have a fighting chance.

2. Why is the bracket organized the way it is?

The bracket is broken up first by continuity. First Legends characters and characters from the novel Ronin will compete amongst themselves. Once only one of them remains, they’ll be integrated into the main tournament next round. The New EU tournament is also broken up with the idea of reverse seeding, making the most popular characters compete against each other in the first round to keep them from dominating the tournament. There are two other “mini-brackets”, one consisting of all of Doctor Aphra’s exes and the other consisting of all of the non-binary bounty hunter bosses from Jedi Survivor. There are also two scripted matches: Moff Moors vs Aleskin/Pavol for being kind of problematic and Adrellia/Odellia vs Thandeka/Dima as the two generations of Eiram queens are pretty similar. Beyond that, all matches are decided randomly. If there are ever an even number of passes occurring in the entire tournament, things will be reshuffled even if it involved someone competing outside of their heat. After the first round, there may be some shuffling of the bracket to prevent passes where possible.

3. Why are some characters running as a couple?

When a couple doesn’t have many individual character traits and have really only appeared in stories together, they will be competing as a pair. This only really applies to supporting characters, as main character ships will have individually defined characters.

4. Why did you use x identity?

Specific orientation labels are difficult in Star Wars, as they do not exist in-universe. We’ve used wlw/mlm when a character has expressed same-gender attraction but there has been no textual or authorial clarification that they don’t have different gender-attraction.. Playersexual is a term when it comes to representation in video games describing characters whose only expressed attraction is to the player character in a non-gender locked romance. I elaborate on this decision here, as well as link a video on the topic by a bisexual person. If mistakes were made regarding author clarification regarding labels or instances of different gender attraction were missed, please let us know. However, only asks/DMs with sources included will be considered.

5. Why did/didn’t you include x?

Characters are only included if they have textual or word of god evidence of them being queer. Characters who have only been mentioned were decided on a case by case basis based on how much is known about them. Characters who are named and appear in a story were automatically included, regardless of how minor their role was. Characters with alternate alien gender systems were included, with such things being specified in their label.

Kallus and Zeb: While Kallus and Zeb seem like a prototypical heavily implied by not actually confirmed same gender ship, it was decided to include them without official clarification because the canon ships Flix/Orca and Chass/Yrica have the same level of textual evidence, but were meant as romantic relationships. If Kallus and Zeb were a f/m couple it would be considered obvious that they were together. This is different from something like Finnpoe, which doesn’t have quite as much textual support. Or even Chirrut/Baze, where the novelization has them think of each other as brothers.

Ahsoka Tano: The Ahsoka novel gets right up to the line of establishing that Ahsoka reciprocates Kaeden’s feelings. The author, EK Johnson, was simply limited it being awkward to fit a full romance in the story and the requirement of the story group. We weren’t quite in the era yet where a well known character could be quietly established as queer in a book.

X’ian/the male Twi'lek server in BoBF: They weren’t included in the bracket because it's unknown if the costuming details that make them seem trans are supposed to be diegetic. They will have to wait for an author to take the detail and make it canon.

List of characters in the bracket

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron Review

http://bit.ly/2XFqLfY

A thoughtful take on the starfighter squadron novels.

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This was a difficult book to review. Aiming high, it landed in the middle, with deep characterization and a strong stance about the morality of Star Wars muddled by drawn-out scenes and dry prose. Alphabet Squadron is the first in a buzzy series, reminiscent of the beloved X-Wing novels, and it just almost succeeds as a thoughtful ensemble story.

The titular squadron is tasked with finding and defeating Shadow Wing, an elite TIE Fighter squad. (For what it’s worth, the name “Alphabet Squadron” is as much of a joke among characters in-universe as it might sound as a title.) In order to do that, squad leader Yrica Quell needs to make sure five people in five different starfighters can work together. It’s a daunting task, especially since she’s only ever served in the Empire before this, and used to fly in Shadow Wing. 

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Author Alexander Freed’s Battlefront: Twilight Company set a high bar for military fiction in Star Wars, as well as the less pulpy tone of the new Expanded Universe. It starred a soldier who didn’t really want to be part of the Rebellion, but learned why a galactic war might be worth fighting. Its memorable characters and take on classic movie scenes were blisteringly stark and beautifully empathetic. Alphabet Squadron’s protagonist is even further removed from the hero mold: Quell worked for the Empire for the entire Galactic Civil War, until shortly after the destruction of the second Death Star.

At the core of Alphabet Squadron is the story of why readers would even want to root for a person who stuck around the genocidal state that long. Quell switches between lukewarm and boiling, guilt-ridden and twitchy with trauma. She exudes “a sort of glasslike sharpness, equally likely to injure or shatter,” and is “simultaneously hypervigilant and unfocused.” Freed’s portrayal of her trauma is unflinching; Quell is awkward and stiff and possibly even cruel, and that’s part of what makes this such a crunchy character study. She’s one step removed from her own emotions. “She wondered how sincere she sounded—she’d never been any good at conveying empathy, no mater how real.” 

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I love that Quell isn’t a Jedi, isn’t even a fighter ace. She, like Luke Skywalker, is thrown into her story, but she isn’t greeted warmly in the New Republic. Hers would be an uphill battle even without the Empire. She also arrived at a time when the New Republic is going through growing pains, learning how to win. People who joined because they wanted an anarchic system now have to deal with being the ruling government. Quell is feeling those growing pains on a personal level as she deals with everyone from self-interested spies to the unflappable General Hera Syndulla. 

The first volume of the three-book series focuses on bringing the Alphabet team together, and succeeds at making them all unique and fun people. Quell is joined by roguish Nath, farm boy Wyl, angry Chass, and mysterious Kairos. Between them is a web of mistrust and frustrations: Wyl and Chass bump heads because Wyl once forced Chass to live instead of dying with the rest of her squad. Many of them are hiding something from one another. The novel’s most interesting stylistic choice comes from an emphasis on characters telling stories to one another, and an agnostic uncertainty about how much of those stories are true. 

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Unfortunately, individual scenes and the arc of the book as a whole are paced slowly and stretched too thin. The three-book format seems to have given permission for the first volume to be dry at times. Its character arcs are loose, its set pieces, especially in the latter half of the book, are less heart-pounding than most Star Wars stories. It’s just too long. The best combat scenes in the book happen toward the beginning, in a moving space siege reminiscent of the slow fleet chase in The Last Jedi.

Maybe that’s because, later in the book, the largest threat seems to come from inside the squadron. The loosely sketched pilots of Shadow Wing never quite feel like people, even though I’m also reading the comic book tie-in featuring them. They aren’t particularly frightening either, except perhaps for Grandmother, the Imperial commander who still believes in fighting the Old Republic’s enemies. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the ending seems flat even with a dramatic location and plenty of space dogfights. 

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Freed’s prose is solid with moments of insight. A distant third person point of view becomes nearly omniscient at times, which isn’t unusual in tie-in books but becomes particularly buoyant when contrasted with Freed’s sharp prose elsewhere. It has a good awareness of space, though, with vivid scenes and an emphasis on the rough-and-tumble physicality of flying in a one- or two-person spaceship. A starfighter-focused book needs to have strong action scenes, and the ones here are good but not great, with tension coming more from the character relationships than from the threat of attack. 

Between the prickly protagonists and muted story, this one might not be for everyone. It drags in the middle, and omits some scenes in strange places. Why don’t we see more of Alphabet’s very early days together? The reader also needs to be ready to accept that they won’t know everything about the characters: some reveals feel artificial, since the characters know the answers when the reader does not.

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This book asks great questions: What is the meaning of making a moral choice only after all of the moral lines have been crossed? Is Quell a good leader or just a war criminal hanging on to a purpose by the skin of her teeth? What exactly is Quell’s moral code? What does it mean to have fallen into galactic war without fully deciding either one side or the other? I love to have a Star Wars book that sits with its protagonist like this. Considering that it’s the first in a series, a conclusion isn’t expected. Instead, I think Quell will be a great conversation-starter in the fandom for a while, and I look forward to sitting with her a little longer … even if the novel’s answers were always going to struggle to live up to the questions it asks.

Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.

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4/5

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Star Wars

Star Wars Alphabet Squadron

Review Megan Crouse

Jun 10, 2019

from Books http://bit.ly/2MDxjuf