#f!trooper/jonas balkar

[sullustangin]

New Chapter

Rating: T

CW: Character deaths, funerals, grief, the emotional disaster area that is SIS.

Quick quote:

Theron had gambled that Kimble would do this – or something like this, when presented with the opportunity.  Kimble would be the sort to try to start a revolution or rebellion, having been part of several previously on different planets.  Theron had been right. 

Sometimes, the best thing an operative could do was let a person be themselves; the mission self-completes.    

[queen-scribbles]

Nothing Serious

“Ah, Captain, you brighten my day, fatten my bank account, and gun down Imps like maimed banthas. Marry me  when this war is over.”

He’d been joking.

Implementing the combination of flirting and banter that was so kriffing easy with her. And she knew that, which was why she played coy and suggested they stick to drinks for now. It was banter between colleagues, nothing serious.

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

The drinks didn’t happen until they were back on Coruscant, snatched in Briyoni’s final free hours before Havoc left on another mission. But they were both more themselves than they could have been in the field, which Jonas appreciated. There was still plenty of flirting and witty banter between them, and Bry was a dangerous combination of wickedly sarcastic and fiercely patriotic all wrapped up in a killer figure she had no qualms about showing off. But it was just drinks. Nothing serious.

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

He helped her track down the Deadeyes for her XO. Well, as much as he could. He wanted to keep his job, and there was only so far he was willing to bend the rules, even for pretty blue eyes and tattoos that accentuated her cheekbones. Zane was a stuffed-shirt blowhard, but Jonas knew better than to push him too far. So he helped as much as he could and breathed a sigh of relief when Bry claimed ‘Havoc Op’ to divert the Senior Agent’s ire. 

“I should marry you for that,” he quipped, partially just to watch Jorgan bristle.

She laughed, rolled her eyes as she playfully slugged his arm. “How ‘bout we hold onto that for when I do something truly impressive, like save the Republic? For now you can finance a couple hands of sabacc. I’ll buy drinks, since you did us a favor, too.”

“Deal,” Jonas laughed, trying not to feel relieved when Jorgan decided to return to the ship instead. They were just friends hitting the casino, planning to drink some drinks and lose some money. Nothing serious.

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

Their paths crossed again shortly before her mission to Hoth.

“I’m resupplying before we take off,” she laughed, gesturing to the large bag of equipment and cold weather gear Forex was carrying. “But I can probably spare some time if you wanna grab a quick drink...?”

“Sure. I’ll just tell them I got lost between the spaceport and the Senate Tower. There’s no way they’ll question that.”

She giggled. Stars, but he did like her giggle. Their ‘quick drink’ turned into two, then three. Then into stolen kisses, which very nearly turned into more. And would have, if Bry’s medic hadn’t commed and pointed out in sickly sweet tones that they really should get moving.

“Sorry,” Bry whispered, stealing one last kiss. “She’s right.”

“S’alright. Go save the day.” He tried to mean it. They were, at best, ships passing in the night. Nothing serious.

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

They met much more deliberately after her team took out the Gauntlet.

“You free?” she commed, and as luck would have it, he was. He didn’t tell her that if he hadn’t been, he would’ve done whatever it took to change that. The visits they managed to squeeze in were rapidly becoming the only bright spots in a life that ensured he saw far, far too much in the line of duty.

“Jorgan give you any grief about meeting me?” he teased in greeting when she showed up at his door. (One good thing about being gone so much; his place stayed clean)

“Nah, but that’s probably just ‘cause he’s unconscious in the medcenter right now,” she sighed as she sat down, eyes dark as her tone was light.

“Well, now I feel like a jerk,” Jonas groaned. “He gonna be alright?”

“They think so,” Briyoni nodded, rubbing the new scar that bisected her chin tattoo. “Just earned himself another commendation for bravery, which was long overdue, anyway. But I’m not here to talk about work.”

He smirked and leaned closer, until their noses were almost touching. “Then why are you here?”

She accepted the challenge, stole a quick kiss before answering. “Because life is heavy, and you’re a damn good distraction, Jo.”

“Anybody else’d get kicked out for calling me that,” he grumbled good-naturedly under his breath.

“What, distraction? Or Jo?”

“Either,” he admitted, hand rubbing her arm nonetheless.

“Well, then, let me rephrase; I think you’re a damn good use of my time, Jonas.”

“That’s better,” he mumbled, fingers sliding up into her hair as he kissed her.

There wasn’t much need for words the rest of the night. They were both plenty vocal, though.

“Mm, after an evening like that, I feel like I have to ask again if you’ll marry me when the war’s over,” he commented in the lazy morning sunshine.

“You have to, huh?” Bry said playfully, sitting up and running a hand through her tousled hair.

“I’d be an idiot if I didn’t try my damnedest to hold on to someone as fantastic as you.” He sat up as well, punctuating the sentence with a kiss.

“Fantastic? Is that the best you can do?”

“Well, I mean, there’s also beautiful, and sexy, and witty, and strong, and perfect-” he followed each with another kiss- “but I didn’t want it going to your head.”

“Too late.” She pulled him in for a final kiss before climbing out of bed. “I think our next step should be you buyin’ me dinner.”

“That how it goes with you?” he teased, reaching for his clothes. “Drinks, sex, then dinner?”

“Only for the special ones.” She winked as she pulled on her top. “The rest just get drinks. But you’re fun, and you make me smile.”

She didn’t stick around to eat, insisting she needed to get back to the medcenter, then check in with Garza Jonas watched her go, knowing he would have to convince himself before he could convince his superiors their relationship was still nothing serious.

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

Their lives diverged for a few months after that, and he’d be lying to deny his heart lodged in his throat at the tidbits he heard about Havoc’s missions. Of course, with the war ramping up, his own life was dangerous enough to keep him occupied, and he couldn’t help wondering if she worried about him, too.

He found out when they managed to steal a moment following the Senate hearing and Zian’s arrest. She greeted him with a long hug, and he could feel the flutter of her heart.

“I really need to get moving,” she admitted, eyes tired but obviously happy to see him, a sentiment she’d kept bottled up earlier, with Garza there. “But I can tell Forex to have ‘em run a maintenance check, buy us a couple hours, if you have time?”

“Always, Major.” He waited until she’d passed along the instruction, then all but dragged her to his apartment. “Don’t want to waste any time,” he explained when she giggled. He still loved that giggle.  They didn’t waste time.

“I heard a rumor you got caught in that mess on Corellia; the Dark Council member gettin’ schooled by some up and comin’ lord,” Bry whispered in the aftermath, her back pressed against his chest. “I was worried...”

“Nah, Trant pulled me for a deep cover op on Hoth. I see why you hate it so much there.”

She shivered and hummed an agreement. “Y’know, I didn’t realize how much our... visits meant to me ‘til I thought there wouldn’t be any more....”

He froze in the middle of kissing her shoulder, breath coming in a sharp rush. “Well, y’know, if you would marry me we could make ‘em a more regular thing.” He tried--Stars, how he tried--to keep his tone as light and teasing as every other time he’d suggested that, but from her long silence, he must have failed.

Finally, though, she rolled over and met his gaze with mischievous eyes. “Okay.”

“Wait, what?!” He propped himself up on one elbow to stare at her incredulously.  “Are you serious?”

She nodded, giggling like crazy.

Jonas sat upright. “No way, we can’t let that be my proposal!” He never seriously thought he’d be the marrying type, but even he knew you treated it with more reverence than that.

“Okay, then.” Briyoni sat up as well. “Do it right.”

Fighting the urge to laugh crazily himself--because he’d toyed with the idea of this day for months without expecting it to actually come--he leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers, took her hands in his, and cleared his throat. “Alright, I don’t have a ring, ‘cause this is kinda spur of the moment--and you don’t really wear ‘em anyway--but, Briyoni Nerai, will you marry me?”

She grinned wide, bit her bottom lip, and nodded. Before leaning forward to kiss him fiercely enough they both nearly toppled off the bed. “After the war’s over. That was the deal, right?”

“Yep,” he managed, the heady combination of joy and impatience making it hard to breathe. This war needs to be kriffin’ over.

After a few more giddy, giggled kisses, they parted reluctantly to dress and head  back to work. Bry had an Imperial general to hunt, and Jonas needed to figure out how to tell his superiors that what had started as casual flirting on a standard op had turned into something else entirely. 

Something serious.

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I know I’m late to the Balkar love party, but hey, I have a lot of toons, and Jorgan is very, very distracting. :3 (And ofc, because I’m me, they don’t get just a straight happy ending. He still gets sent to Denon for that job he describes as ‘nasty’ and even if Bry’s sister, Vica, would be the Outlander, Bry and Jonas still wind up separated for a while with all the Eternal Empire chaos. There’s eventually a reunion and a ”Marry me right now or i stg I’ll punch you in the face”, but when have I ever made things easy on my children?)

[evilsapphyre]

The Masks We Wear

Chapter 9: Ghosts of the Past

Female Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine (Seraph) / Jonas Balkar

On the heels of a disastrous encounter with a Sith Lord, Cipher Nine finds her way back to the gangster moon of Nar Shaddaa, with more than just the mission at hand on her mind. Will she let old feelings cloud her judgment?

From: jb@birinc.com

To: <redacted sender>

Subject: Hope you don’t mind...

I used the key you left.

<encrypted data file>

Look, I doubt you are willing to believe me, but I had no clue about this family connection. Or that Finley was a captain grade jackass.

I’m going to be away from Nar Shaddaa for awhile. Can’t really say where, but I should be able to swing some leave time. With notice.

If you want to talk. Or not.

Just be careful out there.

Continued on AO3

[haledamage]

6, 8, and 16 Alliance asks, please 😉

6) Are there any NPC’s from the class stories you’d like to see/HC join the Alliance? Ex: Master Timmns, Ardun Kothe, Watcher One, etc

Jonas Fucking Balkar. He should be a full romance option for Troopers and I will die on this hill.

Also, Fuse! He should have played a role in later chapters of the Trooper story if you saved him, and he definitely joins Ves's Alliance. I also like to think he helps Havoc out during the years she's in carbonite.

I wish they hadn't killed off Crysta during SoR and that she and her daughter could have joined the Alliance. I headcanon that more Mando'ade than just Torian join up (Clan Ordo, at the very least, since they have an established history with Torian and the BH)

I wish Master Orgus's Force Ghost had stuck around to just annoy the hell out of Valkorian. Just the idea of Valk being constantly Statler-and-Waldorf'd by a dead Jedi Master is hilarious to me.

Trooper and BH are the only classes I've finished all the way through (so far), so I may have more to add to this in the future ;)

Also, I headcanon that both Vette and Torian are saved because I hate Bioware's obsession with "choose which beloved companion will die". Ves saves Torian while Kade saves Vette and Marii helps Arcann and Senya protect the Gravestone and everyone wins.

8) Are any of your other OC’s part of the Alliance? If yes what do they do for the Alliance? Do they get along with your Commander?

My "canon" Commander is Vesiya Hallis Jorgan (Colonel Jorgan, officially, but she doesn't use her rank anymore. f!Trooper, Medic Commando, mostly LS), but I've really enjoyed adding the others to her story in a non-Commander capacity. I like the idea of having a complete set of all of them working together eventually.

Marii Shan (former Jedi Battlemaster Aramarii Wrinn. f!Jedi Knight, Watchman Sentinel, mostly LS) is a really good combat tactician and an equally good spy. During the five years Ves is in carbonite, she gets a reputation as a terrorist among Arcann's forces for saving rebels and dissidents from his wrath. Once she officially joins the Alliance, she is Theron's favorite lead scout, she goes behind enemy lines for recon missions. Briefly, during the Order of Zildrog business, she's promoted to Spymaster, until her then-boyfriend (now husband) comes home.

Kade Mithal of Clan Cadera (f!Bounty Hunter, Bodyguard Mercenary OR Pyrotech Powertech (both, really, because I've never been able to choose), full LS) joins when Torian does. They're a team and she goes where he goes, no matter what. She's a very good bounty hunter. If you need someone found, she's your girl. I'm fairly certain she's the one who found where Ves was being held so Lana could rescue her.

I'm pretty sure Riykas (Jedi Shadow, full LS) and Jayce (Sith Juggernaut, full LS) join Ves's Alliance too, but I haven't decided in what capacity yet.

Ves and Marii become really good friends during the Revan business, and that continues once Marii joins the Alliance. They work well together and balance each other out. Really, the Jorgans and Shans in general get along well. Also, the two of them teaming up has got to be terrifying for Valk personally because they are the two biggest pains in his ass in the whole galaxy.

Ves and Kade have a lot of respect for each other, though they don't spend much time together outside of work until after Ves saves Torian during Vaylin's assault on Odessen. After that, Ves is as good as family as far as Kade is concerned, and she is an unofficial part of their clan.

Marii and Kade get along surprisingly well, considering the animosity between Jedi and Mandalorians. They have a bit of a playful rivalry, but trust each other completely when the shit hits the fan (which it often does). When one of Kade and Torian's daughters ends up Force Sensitive, Marii offers to train her.

16) From our OC’s point of view, SoR -> KotET wasn’t a fun experience, did they develop any fears as a result?

Ves is scared of carbonite stasis, and will absolutely fight to the death before ever being put in it again. She still sometimes wakes up from nightmares with psychosomatic stasis-blindness, and on really bad days has to remind herself that she isn't just having a very detailed coma dream.

Marii would never ever admit it, but she's scared of Valkorian getting in her head again. It's happened twice now (once during the JK story, once on Ziost), and she's not sure she'll be able to break free if it happens a third time. She stays behind when everyone else goes to free Satele from Valk's plague, even though her connection to Kira and Scourge would have probably protected her. Just in case.

I don't think Kade fears anything lmao

[pineaberry]

ESC: Lover’s Knot

ESC is a series of drabbles and ficlets that were really more like writing exercises created when inspiration struck. They’re labeled ESC because usually, they’re choices that I’d like to explore but immediately hit ‘Esc’ in-game before they’re set in stone. I also like to do little rabbit holes of character development for the Canon Storylines. To celebrate my 250th follower milestone... HAVE SOME AWKWARD CATS!

Feel free to reblog and let me know what you think! (Reading the tags fuels me. FEED THE AUTHOR!)

This fic is dedicated to @cinlat @kunoichi-ume and @sunsetofdoom for their beta-ing and world-building assistance.

Trooper Storyline Chapter 2 (Threats in the Darkness)

Setting: Immediately after the destruction of the Gauntlet. Elara Dorne was injured in the attack and has been transported to a Republic Hospital for her recovery, everyone else is off celebrating.

Location: Coruscant

Players: Sartem Roan (Cathar F!Republic Trooper), Aric Jorgan, Jonas Balkar

Relationship: They’re just friends, but mainly because Aric is so terrible at making the next move. It also doesn’t help that Sartem knows exactly ZERO about Cathar traditions.

Aric Jorgan hated Jonas Balkar.

He hated how the man’s cloying words seemed to reach out and taint the world around him twisting and taunting him to the point where JORGAN was the one who sounded unbalanced. He hated the familiarity and lack of respect the man showed whenever he addressed him. He hated the too-confident-for-his-own-good swagger in which he walked up to General Garza and simply acted as though rank didn’t affect him.

But most of all, he hated how the damn Spook’s flirting made his CO smile.

“Relax Jorgan, its banter. And besides, there’s no need to worry, you’ll get invited to the wedding. I’ll make you my best man,” Balkar teased and Jorgan answered with a feral snarl bordering on a roar that caused every patron in the cantina to flinch.

“Girls, girls, calm down, you’re both pretty,” Sartem said arriving just in time to save Balkar’s hide yet again.

“We’re supposed to be celebrating, Jorgan. It’s not every day we take down a superweapon,” the SIS agent grinned impishly.

“HAVOC took down the Gauntlet.”

“And I helped!” Jonas piped up undeterred by the obvious hostilities.

“Regardless, we all deserve a break,” Sartem interjected before taking a seat between the two.

“I was wondering if you’d stood us up! Congratulations, Major,” Jonas motioned to the bartender and the droid arrived with a bottle of chilled white wine.

“Coruscanti White, twenty years old, courtesy of an inattentive Senator who left their yacht docked at the Star Cluster Casino,” he winked as he unstoppered the bottle with a satisfying pop and poured Sartem a glass.

“Pre-sacking wine? Now that’s a treat,” she mused appreciatively. “I’m surprised you didn’t sell it instead. Bottle like this would easily get you at least 200k.”

“I’d never take less than half a mill,” Jonas scoffed, “but despite what you may have heard Major, my days of hocking pre-sacked finds are far behind me.”

“Mmm. This mean you don’t want the empty bottle back?” she asked as she tasted the pleasantly tang wine.

“Well… it would be a shame for such a pretty, easily refillable bottle to just end up tossed in the garbage disposal. Wouldn’t it?”

“Of course. And should said refilled bottle find itself back on the market...” Sartem smirked all too familiar with the typical Capital City con.

“Well then that’s just upcycling,” Balkar winked cheekily earning a bright laugh. Aric’s piercing green eyes narrowed but he remained quiet. He reminded himself he promised to be nice all the while nursing a tumbler of cheap local whiskey.

“Jorgan, care for a glass?”

“That’s a hard pass...” the Cathar growled.

“Oh come on, Aric, it’s not all that terrible,” Sartem said taking a sip.

“Ah don’t mind him. Can’t expect someone who spent half their life on some backwater like Ord Mantell to appreciate a good Coruscanti. I’m thinking beer, or whatever local moonshine is more up to his speed, eh? Hey droid, another shot of whatever paint stripper my buddy here is drinking!”

Jorgan’s grip tightened around his glass and he gritted his teeth to keep from slugging the sleazy grin off of the agent’s face. He was right, of course, even for a Cathar he was too blunt and awkward for polite society. Back home on Rendili it hadn't mattered and on Ord Mantell the most delicate thing he’d ever had to handle was the pin of a flash grenade. Growing up, his sisters had mocked his lack of finesse by implying the woman who mated him would have to be part-Rancor.

His brow furrowed as he stared at his drink.

Sartem was no Rancor.

But Sartem was no Cathar woman either. She was something else entirely. She was a charming woman from Coruscant who knew her way around a rifle and a diplomatic councilroom. She oozed charisma when she needed to, and at the same time, refused to betray her principles in the name of politics. She was clever, she was fair, she was brave, and gentle and kind…

“Balkar! You rat!”

She was laughing with the idiot whose only intent was to bed her. Aric scowled as he wished for the same ease of words Balkar had. Granted, he wasn’t an idiot, but having a brain filled to capacity with military strategy and tactics did little for his ability to wax poetic. Unlike the Spook, his strength was in actions not words.

Sartem chuckled and plucked off her gloves a finger at a time. It was rare for her to walk around without them, something he chalked up to minimizing callouses. Yet as she flexed her fingers he noted a wrongness to them. His brow furrowed as he absently grabbed her wrist and turned the full force of his glare on them. Her fingertips were wrong, modified. Her claws were dull. No, not dull, flat, almost human in appearance. And then it clicked. They had been removed and replaced with blunted, artificial caps. Someone had torn out her claws. Rage was the first thing to register followed by the intense desire to eviscerate the person responsible.

“Er… Aric?” her voice cut through the anger.

Vivid green eyes blinked and his throat went dry only then registering that he had been staring. He instantly released her wrist.

“Your claws… they’re,” he stammered for a polite way to say mutilated.

“Hm? Oh! Yeah. I had a habit of scratching up things as a kid. It was harmless, but as I got older it became a problem.”

Jonas cleared his throat before taking her hand in hers. “A shame, but it doesn’t detract from your loveliness...”

Aric felt ill. ‘It became a problem’ so they took care of it. Like an errant pet that ruined the furniture. They, no, not some anonymous face, the Republic decided to take it away. With no one to stand in their way, they took away her only means of defense. What did an old Twi’lek know about Cathar pride or heritage? What did any outsider care or understand about a kit’s behavior and the blatantly obvious signs of distress? It was easier to remove the source of irritation rather than mend the problem. What did they expect her to do? Cry like some bleating ape! It was easier to break off, and rend, and tear than to just…

Perhaps if Sartem was weaker, she would have cried for them. If they had broken her she would have sobbed. Maybe that would have pleased them.

How were such procedures still legal?!

Sartem was looking at him, as though gauging what had gone wrong. It happened more times than he cared to count. She took all of her cultural cues from him because- He gritted his teeth.

Because they took everything from her.

“Nothing’s the matter, right? Aric?”

Green eyes flickered to Balkar who was quite blatantly expecting him to say something. Expecting him to wave it all away as though it were normal to cut off pieces that were inconvenient. Such a narrow-minded, oblivious, humanistic point of view to have. Bile threatened to rise in his throat but he swallowed it down with the contents of his glass before standing to leave.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Thanks for the drink,” he managed to keep his voice below a sneer before he ran away.

No. Not ran away. Tactically retreated. She was looking at her hands before reaching for her gloves. He’d made her feel self-conscious and he cursed himself for it.

Balkar was prattling on about some sordid adventure on Nar Shaddaa before he’d reached the exit and he trusted the man would soon distract her from the scene he had caused.

Aric took the long way back to the ship but the anger refused to dissipate. The ship was empty, save for the protocol droid, allowing him to storm to his bunk without being intercepted. The restless energy bubbled inside him and he gave a loud snarl before taking out his anger on a practice dummy Dorne had set up.

At times he resented her ignorance. He resented the fact that, despite her appearance, she was something so uniquely non-Cathar. She had more in common with Balkar than with him, but resentment was a selfish emotion. If he cared to delve into it, he simply detested having to explain the galaxy’s prejudices to her. He didn’t want to look into Sartem’s large blue eyes and explain how the Republic had failed her. Again. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in them when he explained that the same people who deserted her would reject her. He didn’t want her to know how so many would judge her for what was taken. He didn’t want to explain why some would think less of her; treat her as less. The scorn, the humiliation… he wanted to keep it from her all the while he knowing it would have to come from him. Another Cathar wouldn’t be bothered with her and would certainly be less understanding, less forgiving, and simply less kind about it.

A well placed slash broke the stand and it toppled over crashing onto a crate. He stood panting as his own claws lay trapped in his gauntlets preventing him from causing any real damage. He tore off the gauntlets and threw them aside as though disgusted by them. The rage had faded away leaving him with regret.

Sartem deserved better.

Instead, she was stuck with him, and he’d left her alone with Balkar.

He slouched into his bunk sorely wishing he’d drunk more than just a tumbler of whiskey in order to drown out his feelings of defeat. Idly he pulled out a velvet pouch tucked away in his pillowcase. He tipped it onto his hand and a piece of opalized wood rolled out. It was another failure materialized.

As custom dictated he’d picked out his stone when he came of age. The chocolate brown fossilized wood was riddled with cracks and seams of glittering opal filled the gaps. His sisters had hidden their smiles when he showed them. Opalized wood was too brittle, too soft. Once polished, it would scratch at the slightest graze of a claw. Others had chosen more sensibly. Garnets, amethysts, quartz crystals, and citrines were durable. These could be cut into sparkling gems that caught the light and burned with cold fire. Agates and jaspers were equally tough and easily fashioned into intricate carved cameos. These displayed skill and tenacity, but an opal? They were soft as sand, infinitely finicky to fit, and required a lifetime of maintenance. He could have done no worse if he’d just picked out a river pearl and declared himself a eunuch.

His father had provided little comfort other than to keep his opinion to himself. His mother had been more charitable, stating whoever Aric chose would find the stone perfect. Yet another foolish thought. Cathar men didn’t choose, they were chosen, though the gods knew he’d tried.

Naadia was his first, novice attempt at love. For a while, she encouraged his advances. She was calm and level-headed. He’d thought they made a good match. She took his gruffness with good humor and he entertained the thought of something more. Just as soon as he’d worked up the nerve to make his move, another rival with ‘better people skills’ began lavishing her with attention. Open displays of affection had never been his forte and never would be. She made up her mind rather quickly after that.

Sisa was lovely. It was one of the few times he’d fallen for someone at first glance, well him and several others. When he approached her, she demanded to see a sample of his handiwork, but his clumsy attempts at jewelry weaving left much to be desired. He could break down and reassemble his rifle blindfolded and upside down with an arm tied behind his back, but the infinitely delicate strands of wiring ended up tangled and bent by his fingertips. After weeks of crafting he presented her with a lover’s knot. His best attempt out of the eighty. Despite it all, she took the poor craftsmanship as an insult and refused him. He couldn’t bring himself to blame her.

And then there was Tae-Lyn…

His fingers curled around the stone.

For a long time he had thought her to be his last chance; the last train leaving the station. His love for her hadn’t been borne out naive foolishness like Naadia or fleeting passion like Sisa. Tae-Lyn was special. She was that rare mixture of woman that was both impulsive and patient, she was also notoriously difficult to please. Most Cathar were mated at her age… well, their age. Their courtship had been discreet and surprisingly intimate. Tae-Lyn was the only one to be offered his stone, but by that time Jorgan’s career kept monopolizing his attention. Serving with the Deadeyes meant more and more of their interactions were via holo. Still, he remained faithful to her promising he would take a promotion as soon as it became available; promising that he would make it all up to her if she could only wait. Wait another year, wait another season, wait another month... When a post opened up on Ord Mantell he took it. Despite it all, Aric never got the chance to tell her. The next day after his promotion was made official, he received a package containing his opal and a note he only half-read.

Aric didn’t need her excuses or apologies to confirm what he already knew: He’d made her wait too long.

And yet, rather than toss away the stone and be done with it, he’d kept it. For all his grandstanding about not being interested in such frivolous things, he’d never gone through with throwing away the damned thing. His fingers gripped the smooth polished stone tightly.

What was he hoping for anyway? If he was being honest with himself, what did he have to offer?

A lifetime of single-minded dedication to the republic military had left him bereft of anything that would appeal to a potential mate. He had no home or land to call his own, no social status,  no real connections within the clan. He supposed there was his pension, but those were funds intended for the final stretch of his lifetime, not the beginnings of a family.

And still, staring at his reflection upon the glass smooth surface of the opal, Aric knew Sartem wouldn’t care about those things. The way she smiled, how she looked at him, she wouldn’t care if all he had was the armor on his back. Perhaps, if he hadn’t been so quick to abandon her side she would have chosen to spend the night with him instead of that smug idiot.

He stood and walked up to his tool box shuffling the contents a bit before pulling out a spool of magnet wire from his detonator kit. Aric then sat at his workbench, painstakingly, stripping the thin coating of varnish from the wire until the bright copper core was exposed. He hesitated as he stared at the spindly metal strand as though it were mocking him, before setting the stone down and measuring it. His fingers were as clumsy as he recalled. His claws snagged on the soft metal nicking and bending it in unflattering angles.

Aric growled in frustration and dropped the piece before leaning back and running his hand over his face. He took a deep breath before staring at the ceiling. How many years had it been? And he was still blindly stumbling through this. His skill was no better than it had been with Naadia. A lover’s knot was meant to be unique; a representation of everything a male adored about his mate. No two were ever alike.

Emerald green eyes blinked as the thought clicked into place.

Sartem wasn’t Naadia. She wasn’t Sisa. She wasn’t Tae-Lyn.

He sat up and tossed the mangled scrap of wire aside before cutting a new length. Bringing out his detonator kit he turned the wire into coils and the coils into knots. He worked efficiently, forgoing the traditional twists and weaving patterns and instead building the piece like he would a detonite charge circuit. At long last finding his rhythm, he spun the lattice around the opal until it was snugly encased into a pendant. He paused to analyze his workmanship and realized it looked nothing like an engagement piece was supposed to look like. It was too plain to be a proper Cathar gift, but he noted there were no dents or scratches on the wire. The coiling was deceptively simple in appearance, but Sartem would recognize the intricate configurations mimicking the circuitry diagrams in the detonation handbook. She would appreciate the sort of skill it would take to make the stable loops and connections out of a single piece of wiring. She would know that it would take decades of practice to make the curls uniform and the bonded connections invisible to the naked eye. It was perhaps the best work he had ever done.

There was a hiss as the ship’s door opened and Cee-Too gave a cheerful greeting. He stashed the stone in his pocket and reached for his rifle before masterfully dismantling upon the table so it appeared as though he were in the middle of repairs. He knew it was her from the sound of her footsteps and he kept his gaze focused on the table. If he was lucky perhaps she would ignore him and go straight to her quarters.

“You know, one of these days I’ll get you to actually have some fun, Jorgan,” her voice echoed through the barracks and he detected a subsonic purr that meant she wasn’t upset with him. He ventured a glance and saw she was leaning against the doorway smirking.

“Can’t say I’m familiar with the concept, sir,” he drawled sarcastically but tensed as she walked up and took a seat next to him on the bench. Her pupils were dilated as she looked at him. The curl of her lip meant she was amused. She smelled faintly of that expensive Corellian wine and blueblossom soap.

The pendant burned a hole in his pocket at the sight of her.

“That wasn’t why you stormed out though, was it?” she asked leaning casually against him and his gaze kept flickering from the table and back to her as though unsure where to keep his gaze.

“I… that was rude. I’m- I’m sorry.”

“Does it bother you that I don’t have claws?” And there was the question. Direct and blunt like a bolt between his eyes. The silence dragged on and he knew she expected an answer.

“The Cathar value strength. It’s everywhere in our culture. Claws and teeth are symbols of a person’s- of a Cathar’s strength.”

“Do you think I’m weak, Aric?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation, “I know you’re not. It’s just... There is the expectation, the notion that a Cathar without claws has suffered a severe humiliation and I-”

“Does it bother you that I don’t have claws?” she repeated with her typical infinite patience.

“How can it not?” he snarled as Sartem pressed the issue, “Every day I see how much they took from you, how they used you, how they hurt you and I can’t protect you from any of it! You should hate them for hurting you, you should hate us for abandoning you, you should hate me...”

He then felt her bare hand rest over his and it stopped his angry tirade. His brow furrowed as he looked down at her fingers smoothing over his fur in a soothing motion.

“It brought me to you, didn’t it?”

He was rendered mute by her words unable to formulate an argument against them. She was touching him, willingly. His pulse raced as she crept closer and snuggled against him. Was this how it felt to be chosen? No arduous struggle; no harrowing attempts to read her mind; they simply existed naturally. He reached out and held her hand before looking into her deep blue eyes and feeling a connection between them.

“Was it worth it, sir?” he rumbled.

“I’ve managed to meet the most interesting people,” she mused, “Dorne, Yuun, Vik...”

“Balkar,” he growled unable to hide how a spike of jealousy coursed through his veins. “Even got a proposal out of him.”

“Do you really think he has a chance,” she countered with a wry grin.

“I didn’t see you turn him down-mph!”

His griping was cut off when she leaned forward and kissed him. The doubt and shadowed thoughts faded away as she slipped into his arms easily. Aric’s heart swelled as her scent and touch filled his senses. It was part male instinct, part lovesick idiocy, but he never wanted it to let go. The kiss ended all too soon but he gave her a dazed smile.

“Does that answer your question?” she asked.

“You… wanna run that by me again?” he asked cheekily.

Sartem gave a soft laugh before rubbing her cheek against his and once again disconnecting his brain. His claws had extended as he fumbled at the clasps of her armor and she… sweet gods was she purring? He groaned as he felt the soft vibrations. She was going to kill him.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would give the pendant an acid dip and give the copper a dark patina. Tomorrow he would wrap it in velvet and place it in a cortosis bit case. Tomorrow he would give her his stone.

Sartem wouldn’t know what it meant to him. She wouldn’t understand how harrowing its rejection could be, but Aric realized it didn’t matter. Customs, belief systems, traditions, they were just a means to categorize emotion. After all what else could he do? It’s not like he could back down now. It was too late. She’d already stolen away his heart.

For all the curious out there, this is what Aric’s opalized wood stone looks like:

[miss-nerd-alert]

-the Trooper mentioning how their walker on Ord Mantell was destroyed, and the Smuggler going “That was you?!?!”

-Mako wanting to introduce the Bounty Hunter to this really great Trandoshian she knows, only to find out he’s best friends with a Jedi that he keeps calling “Scorekeeper’s Herald”

-Risha actually tracking down Vette, and learning that she’s taken up with a Sith Lord

-Havoc Squad going to Shadow Town on assignment, only to get a call from Garza saying “There’s a Jedi in Shadow Town on a mission, and they need your help right the f now.” Havoc Squad keeps in touch with the Consular, and the Consular calling a few months later like “Hey, I met up with a trooper who says he knows Jorgan?”

-Either Sith finding out how the Consular bluffed their way past a bunch of Imperials by pretending to be a Sith and being baffled by the fact that it worked

-if the Imperial Agent defects to the Republic and joins the SIS, they end up befriending Jonas Balkar and get introduced to Havoc Squad

-The Warrior actually being super chill with the Inquisitor during their trials on Korriban, only to meet them again later and there’s a giant monster looming behind the Inquisitor, asking if it can eat the Warrior

-Kaliyo introducing the Imperial Agent to Doc

Reasons I wish there was a way for all 8 class characters to be in the same play through:

-The Wrath and Darth Nox being allies and ascending to extreme power and status at the exact same time. Them utterly terrifying the Council together.

-An epic lightsaber battle between the Wrath and the Knight

-The Consular being at the Knight’s Master ceremony and congratulating them

-The Imperial Agent on Yavin having to deal with all these completely insane Sith: Darth Nox, the Wrath, Lana Beniko, Darth Marr, etc.

-the Consular’s first job as a Council Member being having to negotiate with the newest Dark Council member: Darth Nox

-The smuggler minding their own business on Rishi for crime reasons only for all these Sith and Jedi to just suddenly show up

-the Consular and the Inquisitor stumbling on the same archaeological find only to have to work togehter to uncover it

-the honorable Mandalorian bounty hunter having to work with the Cracker Jack chaotic good smuggler

Feel free to add more

[moontheoretist]

List of swtor ships I do have or plan to have:

Arcann Tirall x F!SI1 x Andronikos Revel

Andronikos Revel x Paxton Rall

F!SI1 x Darth Malora

F!SI1 x Darth Acina (planned breakup, even though I love her very much)

Ashara Zavros x F!SI2 x Vaylin Tirall

Theron Shan x Koth Vortena

Major Pierce x F!SW x Lana Beniko

Jonas Balkar x F!Trooper x Major Anri

F!Trooper x Srg. Jaxo (with sad ending and quilt eating storyline)

F!Trooper x Lemda Avesta (brief romance)

I!NB!JK x Kira Carsen

F!JC1 x Felix Iresso

Vector Hyllus x GF!IA x Aristocra Saganu

GF!IA x Phi-Ton

GF!IA x TW!BH

GF!IA x Katha Niar (with available saving)

TW!BH x Aitalla Girard

Vaverone Zare x TW!S x Akaavi Spar

Corso Riggs x F!S

A!BH x Torian Cadera

Darth Arcous x Col. Darok

TW - Trans Woman, GF - Genderfluid, NB - Non-Binary, A - Agender, I - Intersex

[evilsapphyre]

The Masks We Wear

Chapter 6: Blurred Lines

Female Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine (Seraph) / Jonas Balkar

On the heels of a disastrous encounter with a Sith Lord, Cipher Nine finds her way back to the gangster moon of Nar Shaddaa, with more than just the mission at hand on her mind. Will she let old feelings cloud her judgment?

Standing along the promenade, Jonas Balkar stared across the sea of vehicles zipping through the neon colors of the night sky. Around him, there was a buzz of activity, the hint of music in the distance, and his mind was as far from any of it as it could be, lingering on the conversation he had hours before with a certain Imperial Intelligence operative.

The injuries, the refusal of Imperial treatment, the admission that whatever happened had to do with the Sith - it all bothered him. It shouldn't, and not just because of whom she worked for. It was part of the job, even for him. They could disavow him, cut him loose; he knew that if they had to choose him over the better good of the Republic - well, that choice was obvious.

But Seraph, she served a completely different kind of master. It was clear she was skilled at whatever they sent her to do, if she tangled with a Sith as she claimed… but if she couldn't trust them, what was the point? How could she return to them?

And what the hell was wrong with him? He had no idea what she did for the Empire on her missions. She could be just as complicit in some of their more heinous crimes. Just because he enjoyed sleeping with her, that didn't change the fact that she served the Empire, and acted on orders from their Emperor. He'd seen what they were capable of on Taris firsthand, and he'd read reports trickling in from Republic agents that were operating unsanctioned on Balmorra.

That was her choice in this war that they both knew was coming. If he hadn’t promised that damned Havoc squad lieutenant that he’d help him out, well, Jonas would have tried a lot better to stay away from her. Clearly, he couldn’t exactly trust himself around her, and that was more proof of the trouble he was in.

He invited her to hold a favor over him, to help someone else entirely. What the blasted hell was wrong with him? It was like putting a pile of glitterstims in front of an addict and just waiting to see what would happen.

His holocom chimed at him at the same time as another alert sounded in his ear. Ignoring the incoming call, he checked the alert on a datapad. Apparently, the tracker he placed on Seraph’s pistol pinged down in the lower level of the promenade. Either she left it intentionally, or she was worse off than she was letting on - he doubted that she would miss such an obvious tracker under normal circumstances. Regardless of the reason, the culprit was just a floor below him, and since he was insane enough to keep this Imperial agent in his orbit, it couldn't hurt to try and win her over with a gesture or two.

He took a moment to study the coordinates, noting that whoever had the pistol was stationary and looked fined inside the Slippery Slopes Cantina. Pocketing the datapad, he strolled back inside, making his way to lower level. His com beeped at him again, but he’d wait until after he got down to the side room of the cantina to see who was trying to get his ear. It wasn't like he could speak freely where he was.

The normal electronic music flowed from the cantina as he made his way to the entrance, covering most of the conversation that milled in the air. His eyes scanned the crowd as he entered; it was a proverbial needle in a haystack as almost everyone had pistols on their hips. But there was only brutish looking thug with a cybernetic implant over one eye, brandishing his in one hand - like he was bragging about something.

“I'm telling you, Jando, she’s easy pickings. Your boys can't miss such a pretty little bird.” There was no hiding the lustful overtone of the gravely voice that carried over to Jonas as he neared the pair. “I guarantee that she’d fetch a high sum of creds with the right client. All you gotta do is track her down. I already did my part.”

“You're supposed to tag the mark too!” The Rodian named Jando flicked a rude gesture to the human. “How do we know she didn't take shuttle elsewhere?”

It was disgusting to hear the two bicker between themselves. It was safe enough to presume that they were discussing selling people into some form of slavery, and as much as it revolted Jonas, it was to be expected in Hutt space. One of those things that he was expected to turn a blind eye towards so long as it wasn't interfering with his direct orders.

Forcing a lazy grin on his face, he walked right over to the pair, resting one hand on the pistol in the other human's fist. “Hey there, gentlemen. I see you're having quite a evening.”

Jando and his cyborg friend glared at him, and the cyborg attempted to wrest his hand free, but Jonas leaned his weight onto the man. “This is a private business discussion, so shove off before I make an example out of you.”

“With this old thing?” Jonas released the hand, slipping the pistol from the other man’s grip as he did. “Doubtful. Besides, I'd be less worried about your business ventures, and more about who you upset today.”

The Rodian’s mouth twitched, sneering as much as its alien features would allow. “And just who might that be? Some flunky of yours?”

“Oh no, I'm no one. But it seems your man here,” Jonas patted the cyborg’s shoulder, “he decided to lift this from one of Nemro’s lieutenants. I'm not sure who I'd be worried more about upsetting - that Hutt or her.”

“I bought that pistol…”

“Sure you did, pal.” He reached to the hilt of the pistol, prying out the tracker he inserted and dropping it on the table. “How about I just let her know that it was just a misunderstanding? Oh, and since I'm feeling gracious, I'll even forget to mention that whole slavery bit I overheard.”

He at least had the sputtering of the two would be slavers to amuse him as he disappeared into the side room. It was time to return that phone call.

--- Continued on AO3

[queen-scribbles]

Hey so I found your blog from a fic you wrote on Ao3 and I am (still) addicted to KOTOR 2. I just started playing SWTOR because I saw you post about it, and I was wondering if you have any tips on which companions are the best or romance options for NPCs?

First off, thank you for reading my fic and I hope you enjoyed it. <3

Idk if I can truly say who the best companions are bc I'm massively biased toward a few of them, but I can share my faves, both in terms of romance and just the general character personality and how well they mesh with my play style for different classes.

Hands down favorite as a character and comp for how I play the tech classes is Aric Jorgan(first comp for the Trooper). I like to play tech classes as damage/short range and set my companion to heal, he has an excellent AI for balancing when to heal vs when to contribute to the damage. Personality wise, he's a grump and a bit abrasive, so he might not be for everyone but I love him. He's also my second favorite romance, but we'll get to that.

Corso Riggs(first Smuggler comp), Vette(first Sith Warrior comp), Elara Dorne(second Trooper comp), and Talos Drellik(fourth Sith Inquisitor comp) are also all good matches for the way I like to play. My favorite Force user class is Shadow, which was originally a Jedi Consular option, but now that anyone can use it that's what all my Jedi/Sith wind up xD. It has a discipline that's tank-y(Kinetic Combat) so I can continue my center of the action with a healer companion ways, lol. Personality and just liking them as a character wise, you can add Nadia Grell(Consular comp), Mako(Hunter comp) and Vector Hyllus(Agent comp) to the list.

Favorite romances

Elara Dorne(m!Trooper romance)

Aric Jorgan(f!Trooper romance)

Nadia Grell(m!Consular romance)

Theron Shan(expacs, male or female romanceable)

Corso Riggs (f!Smuggler romance)

I do need to clarify I haven't done all the romances yet, lol. Still haven't check out either of the m!Agents options, or Mako as a romance beyond act 1(she didn't mesh with that Hunter romantically), or the dark side version of Jaesa.

Some of my favorite NPC romances are Jonas Balkar(Trooper story on Nar Shaddaa, f!Trooper can flirt), Numen Brock(Smuggler story on Balmorra, f!Smugg can flirt), Beryl Thorne(Smuggler story on Taris, m!Smugg can flirt), Sanju Pyne(Agent story on Balmorra, f!Agent can flirt), Watcher Two(Agent story throughout the game, m!Agent can flirt), and Ranna Tao-Ven(Jedi Knight story on Tython, m!Knight can flirt)

OH. Important to note, any companion can be great if you get their influence level up. You can do that through dialogue choice and giving them gifts. I think you get companion gifts as part of the reward for completing weekly conquest, but you can also buy them of the trade network(hubs on the Fleet, Coruscant/Dromund Kaas, and Nar Shaddaa). And if you go into your Legacy(Y key) there's a page for character perks, you can buy a buff that increases how much influence you gain from dialogue/gifts so it goes faster, which is especially handy for comps you don't get til late-game. So if there's one you really like, just shower them with presents, lol. There's a bunch of other QoL things on that Legacy page, too.

....I think that's everything, hope I answered your questions well enough(feel free to ask for clarification if I didn't), and I hope you have fun playing! This game's had me in a chokehold since it launched, so it's always fun to see new players. <3

[queen-scribbles]

Love Yourself Challenge

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc. ) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works! 

Tagged by @greyias, but I”d already been planning to use the open tag from @allisondraste, so I’m just gonna do ten bc that’s totally how this works, right? and it says FAVORITE, not BEST, so these are the ones I’m ridiculously attached to, not necessarily the best written. (they’re all sfw, though Taking Initiative and Homecoming push it just a little)

Taking Initiative

SWtOR; f!Trooper/Aric Jorgan. expanding on the events of the ftb in Jorgan’s romance with banter and make-outs and kicking the crew off the ship OH MY. (I love these two a lot, and I’m really proud of the dialogue/flow in this piece, I think it might be one of my best written fics)

Whiskey Kisses

SWtOR; f!Trooper/Jonas Balkar. Casual night out turns contented night in, confessions are made, and these two continue their trend of mixing sweet and spicy juuuuuust right

Cracks

SWtOR; f!Imperial Agent/Theron Shan. Jaaide’s efforts to minimize casualties on Corellia come up short. Theron’s not happy. Words(TM) are exchanged.(aka the Catharsis Fic after I picked a very, very wrong dialogue option during Onslaught)

Fierce Competition

The Wayhaven Chronicles; f!Detective/Felix Hauville, with a brief appearance from Tina Poname; Janine introduces Felix to paper airplanes and shenanigans ensue. (I’ve mentioned once or twice how much I love writing Felix, yes? He and Janine are fabulous together and this was just SO FUN to write, with the added bonus of them being CUTE AS HELL)

Tension

KotOR II; f!Exile/Atton Rand(sort of?). Straight up sparring fic. Really proud of how well the combat and Ris and Atton’s banter flow, ngl.  

Small Price to Pay

Pillars of Eternity; f!Watcher/Heodan(pre-relationship, but it’s pretty obvious there are feelings). Adi worries about her curiosity getting her friends hurt, Heodan reassures her, but her curiosity’s not the only risk. (me fic-ing Mr. 21-DEX-wtf saving my orlan daughter when she slipped going in the backdoor of Clîaban Rilag. Heavy doses of crushing!Adi, her and Heodan being adorable, and camaraderie in general.)

Homecoming

SWtOR; f!Trooper/Jonas Balkar. Set right after the end of the main class story, Jonas is waiting for Bry when she gets back from Corellia. As always with these two, their banter is amazing, and I just love how they interact.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Pillars of Eternity; Edér Teylecg/Charity(OC). Domestic Fluff set mid-snow storm, ft.married flirting, cold hands, and Charity actually baking something edible.

Drifting Roads

Dragon Age: Inquisition; m!Trevelyan/Josephine Montilyet and a hefty dose of m!Trevelyan & Sera as bffs. Filling a DA prompt ran way, way away with me; 20k of Inquisitor!Jowan stuck in the Fade and wrestling with his massive lingering self-worth issues

Unlikeliest Places

Pillars of Eternity; f!Watcher/Aloth Corfiser. Tavi and Aloth’s hunt for the Leaden Key takes them to the Living Lands where they find something--someone--totally unexpected.(another entry in the Cait Loves Positive Sibling Relationships log)

tagging @haledamage @starsandskies @ma-sulevin and @commander-sarahs-art as well as anyone else who wants to do it. SHOW ME YOUR CREATIONS :D 

[queen-scribbles]

WIP tag meme

Tagged by @greyias

Take three (or less if you are a responsible writer who is not all over the place ;) ) pieces you’ve been working on in the past few weeks and post a paragraph of each and give a short description and tell people why they should look forward to it! (praise yourself like you deserve it!)

tag your fellow author friends for a peak into their heads!

--

Only one has an actual snippet, but I can describe and self-promo for a couple more. ;)

WIP 1:  [Briyoni] delegated the choosing of a replacement to Jorgan, forwarded all the dossiers Commander Malcolm sent her to him. She trusted his judgment on this, didn't trust her own. Besides, she was too busy. Between Havoc ops--and there were a lot of them, fighting both the Sith Empire and the newly emerged Eternal Empire--she was comming every contact she had, trying to find a loophole or sufficient leverage to get Dorne back. She got so desperate she even contacted the Jedi Temple, reaching out to the older sister she'd never met, only to be informed that Master Vica, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, had been on Darth Marr's flagship as an ally and Jedi liaison to the Wild Space Expedition.

Description: Brykar longfic, set during the five years the will-be-Outlander(Bry’s sister Vica) is in carbonite, covering at least part of what my girl and her spy boy get up to.

Why you should look forward to it: I mean, it’s Brykar, why wouldn’t you?. I kid, I kid. I’m not so arrogant as to assume my character/ship’s mere presence makes a fic worth reading. But seriously, it’s f!Trooper/Jonas Balkar, main storyline is her looking for/rescuing him when his SIS team is left on Denon during the Eternal Empire invasion and occupation. includes the Eclipse mess, now on beautiful Hoth for an extra level of challenge, will be both established relationship and a... variation on slow burn(they’re Together as in engaged, but not together as in in the same place until, like, the last 1/3 of the fic), will have both Dorne siblings AND Fuse in supporting roles, and heavily features the Nerai Snark(TM) even if she doesn’t have Jonas to banter with.

WIP 2: Is Of Wardens and Pariahs, but since I just posted a new chapter a week and a half ago, the next one is still in the outline stage and I have no paragraph to give you.

Description: Joined canon AU for Dragon Age: Origins where my Amell and @errantgoat’s Cousland were both recruited to the Grey Wardens and have to overcome personality conflicts in addition to saving the fucking world. Only time will tell which is the more difficult.

Why you should look forward to it: Aside from the fact Harvey Cousland is quite possibly my favorite Warden EVER(including my own /cough sorry kids)? It’s co-written, Alex(Harvey’s mama) is amazing, and while we’re basically following the major plot points from the game, we’re not verbatim hitting every detail. For example, we’re currently on the Lost in Dreams arc and Alex wrote a bunch of chapters from Harvey’s POV that are fantastic (biased, who me??) and get through a bunch of the  “necessary” steps for the arc without being straight-up retread of what you do for that part of the game. (Look, I love Harvey, and I love Alex, and especially how she writes Fade Stuff, and I’m not gonna shut up about how great she is, k? K <3) And having three Wardens instead of two does some fun interesting things to the group dynamics(especially since Trinne and Harvey are so very, very different, personality-wise. Poor Alistair.), so those are fun to see. Idk, I still love DAO fics even thought the game’s ten years old, so I don’t need much encouragement to read/write them. :P How do I market myself, help

WIP 3: not a fic, but the Tragen meta is longer than some things I write and it’s not done yet, OY.

Description: character analysis/backstory/motivation for my Sith Warrior, Tragen Xo’ric.

Why you should look forward to it: It’s me rambling/getting emotional over my Lawful Good Paladin archetype SITH son for (so far) 3k words. What’s not to look forward to? :D

Annnd I’m gonna snag @storyknitter, since she’s been my enabler on that Brykar thing :3 and.... hmm. let’s say @haledamage 

[queen-scribbles]

1, 3, 14, & 19 for the fanfic asks :)

1. favorite fic you wrote this year 

EVIL I can’t pick just one. I wrote a lot this year, even if you don’t count the ficlets/prompt fills. And fics are like children, I love all of them. I can, however, give five of my favorites, in no particular order:

Nothing Serious(SWtOR; f!Trooper/Jonas Balkar)

Crossing Bridges(SWtOR; f!Imperial Agent/Theron Shan, between KotFE and KotET)

Better Than Nothing(Dragon Age; f!Amell/m!Cousland, post-Awakening)

Change of Plans(SWtOR; f!Smuggler/Corso Riggs post-game)

Since You Came Around(PoE; f!Watcher/Aloth Corfiser)

(bonus: Blinding, Shelter, and Anniversaries)

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

Either the proposal in Nothing Serious or Tel’s extremely cheesy flirting with his wife in Anniversaries

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write

Tedious, which was for the 7KPP secret santa(it’s on my sideblog). I’ve never talked to Gisette and certainly never thought I’d be writing her fic, but here we are. 

19. any new fics to start next year

Obviously the Brykar longfic, there’s a 50/50 shot I do MEBB again, the PoE fic/art swap, if that happens, as many weekly Pillars Prompts as i can, probably a LOT for Deadfire after that comes out, more fic for Jaaide if I take her through Iokath/Umbara/Copero(that’s a big if; I wanna know how the traitor thing is gonna end before she touches it). (and that’s just starting; I’m gonna keep working on OWaP too)

[evilsapphyre]

Afternoon reblog!

The Masks We Wear

Chapter 6: Blurred Lines

Female Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine (Seraph) / Jonas Balkar

On the heels of a disastrous encounter with a Sith Lord, Cipher Nine finds her way back to the gangster moon of Nar Shaddaa, with more than just the mission at hand on her mind. Will she let old feelings cloud her judgment?

Keep reading

[evilsapphyre]

Evening reblog!

The Masks We Wear

Chapter 6: Blurred Lines

Female Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine (Seraph) / Jonas Balkar

On the heels of a disastrous encounter with a Sith Lord, Cipher Nine finds her way back to the gangster moon of Nar Shaddaa, with more than just the mission at hand on her mind. Will she let old feelings cloud her judgment?

Keep reading

[evilsapphyre]

Next day reblog!

The Masks We Wear

Chapter 9: Ghosts of the Past

Female Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine (Seraph) / Jonas Balkar

On the heels of a disastrous encounter with a Sith Lord, Cipher Nine finds her way back to the gangster moon of Nar Shaddaa, with more than just the mission at hand on her mind. Will she let old feelings cloud her judgment?

Keep reading