#ghost hunting on Coruscant

[anstarwar]

Cody (Ryan; believer) and Fox (Shane; nonbeliever) ghost hunting in Coruscant's underworld iike Ghost Files (Buzzfeed unsolved).

Rex is just there for the free entertainment; he isn't a believer or a nonbeliever. (Please have him there 🙏)

Thank you!!!

Ahh the ghoul boys Ryan and Shane, my fav lads! They definitely inspired this…

[valkyrieromanoff]

👻GHOST OF YOU: FORCE GHOST! ANAKIN X YOU (day 11 of 31)

synopsis: Navigating the mourning of Anakin's death, you find an artifact that could change your course.

warning: angst, a bit sad, honestly, a lot sadder.

a/n: Hello there, so apparently I'm a masochist, and I love suffering,  hope you like it💖

ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴ ɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴅᴏ

ᴅᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ

ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜ

Grief is a funny thing. It twists your mind into knots, filling your heart with endless waves of sorrow. At first, you deny it, not wanting to believe that your loved one is gone—that you will never see them again, never hear their voice, never feel their warmth. Your last conversation becomes a haunting echo, the final words exchanged between you now tinged with regret. You start to think of everything you could have done differently—every 'what if' becomes a trap, a never-ending spiral of guilt that consumes you.

You had been on the other side of the galaxy when Order 66 happened. For better or worse, you were on a mission, far away from your battalion, meeting a Jedi informant under the guise of hunting down a lost lightsaber. There were no clones around. When the news came, you didn’t know what to feel. There was guilt—guilt for being so far, for not being able to save your men, for leaving them to the clutches of Palpatine’s orders. But deep down, you knew it was for the best. You wouldn’t have had the strength to fight them, to defend yourself from their blasters. They were your comrades, your family.

But then came the news from Master Kenobi. The message was brief, but its impact shattered your world: The Jedi Order has fallen. Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith. Anakin is dead. 

The ground beneath your feet crumbled, and the universe itself seemed to collapse in on you. Denial was your first refuge. No, it can’t be true, you thought as you discarded your Jedi robes, blending into the Coruscant crowd. Anakin couldn't be dead. He’ll contact me, you told yourself. You held onto that hope desperately, needing to believe in something. You waited, clinging to the idea that he would find you—that he was alive and would come for you.

But the comlink remained silent.

Days passed, and then anger set in. A white-hot rage bubbled within you, burning under your skin. Why had no one told you the full truth? Why did everything seem to fall apart, with no one giving you the answers you needed? You threw the comlink across the room, watching it shatter into pieces. The sound of it breaking was satisfying, but fleeting. You screamed into your pillow that night, cursing the universe, cursing fate for taking Anakin away from you. It was irrational, but grief always is.

The anger subsided, but only to give way to bargaining. You combed through your memories, replaying every conversation, every interaction with Anakin, searching for a reason, an explanation. Maybe he’s hiding, you convinced yourself. Maybe he survived, and he’s waiting for the right time to return. You clung to this hope, promising the universe—promising yourself—that you would do anything, anything, to get him back. He couldn’t be dead. Not Anakin, not the Chosen One. You told yourself that if there was any chance, you’d find a way to bring him back.

But as time went on, hope withered. Depression settled over you like a thick fog, weighing down every part of you until it became impossible to move, to think, to feel anything other than the crushing emptiness. You cried until your eyes were red and swollen, but the tears didn’t stop. They became your constant companion, a reflection of the hollow ache in your chest. The pain was suffocating. It felt like you were drowning in your own grief, and there was no way out.

Months passed. Then years. You isolated yourself from the world, locked in your little rented room, next to a bar where you spent your nights drinking to numb the pain. You were a shadow of your former self, carrying the weight of loss and regret everywhere you went. Anakin was gone, and so too was your will to live.

---

It was Halloween today. Not that you’d have known if a plastic skeleton hadn’t slapped you in the face when you stepped out of the boarding house. The streets were alive with festive crowds, but the joy and excitement felt foreign to you. Pulling your cloak tighter around your chest, you walked quickly through the sea of people. You had one goal: buy your monthly supplies and retreat back into your self-imposed exile.

The soft chime of bells announced your entrance into a small, mystical shop. The air inside was thick with incense and the strange, shimmering energy of crystals and floating tables. You had no interest in the artifacts, no faith in anything supernatural since the day you lost your connection to the Force.

Your fingers absentmindedly trailed along the shelves until they brushed against something familiar—cold, smooth metal. A holocron. You stared at it for a long moment, memories of your Jedi training flashing in your mind.

“See something you like, dear?” An elderly Togruta behind the counter asked kindly.

You quickly pulled your hand away, shaking your head. “No, just here for the usual.”

The Togruta smiled gently, her knowing eyes scanning you as if she could see straight into your soul. After packing your supplies, she held your hand for a moment, her grip warm and firm. “Sometimes, what you’re looking for is already inside you.”

Her words sent a strange ripple through your chest, but you dismissed the feeling and left the shop, quickening your pace. As you reached into the bag, your fingers brushed against something that wasn’t supposed to be there—the holocron. Frowning, you pulled it out. You hadn’t bought it. But somehow, it was yours now.

Back in your room, sitting on the tiled floor of the small bathroom, you held the holocron in your hands. You hadn’t connected with the Force in years, but the muscle memory was still there, buried beneath your grief. Slowly, you let yourself open to the Force, its familiar warmth spreading through you. It was like coming home after years of wandering. The holocron flickered to life, revealing coordinates.

You didn’t know what drove you to follow them. It could have been a trap, or a meaningless lead. But it didn’t matter. You used every last credit to buy a ship, and set off, clinging to a sliver of hope you didn’t fully understand.

When you landed, the planet’s atmosphere felt strange—like the Force was alive here, more intense than anywhere you had been. The cold air stung your face as you stepped out of the ship, following the path of a golden glow that seemed to beckon you. You ran faster as it danced and spun, pulling you deeper into the snowy landscape. Finally, you stopped in front of an imposing wall of ice. The glow was gone.

You punched the ice in frustration, your knuckles stinging. “Dank farrik,” you muttered, falling to your knees. “I’m always alone.”

"That's pretty pessimistic. Master Yoda would have a few words about that."

You froze. That voice—his voice. Slowly, you lifted your head. There, standing before you, was Anakin. He smiled, that familiar mix of charm and warmth filling his expression.

“What’s wrong, my dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, his voice soft and teasing.

Hot tears ran down your cheeks before you could stop them. You stood, rushing to him, your arms wrapping around his solid, warm body. He was real. He hugged you tightly, his chin resting against your head as he inhaled the scent of your hair.

“I thought you were dead,” you stammered, words tumbling out as you clung to him. “Obi-Wan said... the Order... the Empire—”

“Shh,” he whispered, his hand stroking your hair. “It’s okay. I’m here now.”

You sobbed against his chest, years of grief and pain spilling out as you let yourself feel again. Anakin didn’t pull away. He held you until your tears subsided, letting you find solace in his arms.

After a long moment, you pulled back, gently cupping his face in your hands. His skin was warm, just as you remembered. You kissed him softly, as if trying to prove to yourself that this moment was real. His lips met yours with the same tenderness, a reunion of souls long separated.

But when you pulled back, he didn’t move to stand. His expression shifted—soft, but resigned. “I can’t go with you,” he said quietly.

Your heart sank. “What do you mean? I came all this way for you. You can’t leave me again.”

Anakin’s gaze held a mixture of love and sorrow. “I don’t belong to your world anymore.”

“What?” you whispered, your voice trembling. “What are you saying?”

“When I died, I became one with the Force. This is where I belong now. It’s my role to maintain balance in the galaxy,” he explained, his voice calm but filled with sadness.

Tears pricked your eyes once more. “But… it’s not fair. Please, Anakin. Just come back with me.”

He smiled gently, placing a hand over your heart. “I never left you. I’ll always be with you, right here.”

You sobbed, the weight of his words crashing down on you. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“We don’t have to say goodbye. We still have time together, right now,” he whispered, pulling you into his arms once more.

You kissed him again, pouring all your love and sorrow into that embrace, holding him as tightly as you could, knowing that your time was short. The hours passed in a blur of stolen moments, each one bittersweet, filled with the love you had for each other and the knowledge that it wouldn’t last.

As the sun began to rise, Anakin walked you back to your ship. “Is this goodbye?” you asked, your voice breaking.

Anakin smiled softly. “No. It’s see you soon.”

You boarded the ship, watching him through the viewport as he waved to you one last time. The ship lifted off, carrying you away from the planet’s surface, away from him.

Your heart still ached, but something had shifted. The grief that had consumed you for so long now felt different. You had accepted it. Anakin was gone, but he wasn’t lost. He was part of you, part of the Force, and though you would never forget him, you knew you had to keep living. For him. For yourself.

As the ship soared into the stars, you smiled faintly, feeling the weight of grief begin to lift.

Acceptance.

It didn’t mean forgetting. It didn’t mean letting go of the love you still had for him. But it meant living again. Moving forward, with the knowledge that Anakin would always be with you, even if he wasn’t by your side. And for the first time in years, you felt ready to take that step.

To live again.

[rooksunday]

don’t ask me why i’m still in airport 2 (ONE GUESS) anyway have some more nonsense

“According to legend—“

“What legend?”

“Cut!”

“Sources say—“

“Citation or gee tee kay oh.”

“Cut!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“What? I’m not saying anything!”

“I can hear you not saying anything from here, Fox. You’re not saying it very loudly. Go on. Let it out. Free the judgment.”

“No. No, I have nothing to say. No comment. You want to ghost hunt? Let’s ghost hunt. Come on, tell the holo about old Mixtra Cymbeline and xyr horrible painful death. Don’t skip the dismemberment. Thire did all that research.”

“… Do you mean it?”

“Thorn, would I be standing here holding a holocam like a peasant if I didn’t mean it?”

“You would if you’d lost a bet with stone.”

“That’s— Okay, that’s fair. But! I am on this occasion motivated entirely by affection. Also possibly footrot. Did we have to do this on location? Old Mixtra Cymbeline really let this place go. Servant to the fancy doesn’t get you osik by the looks of things.”

“…Xe died years ago.”

“And the neighbourhood’s gone to total haran.”

“Fox. Belovéd. Camera on, mouth closed, ghosts hunted.”

“Sir yes sir.”

“…”

“… Heh.”

The thing with the assignment to form the Coruscant Guard was that, sure, it was an unending slog of crud, but it was also increasingly boring. Vode had literally been designed for action and there the Guard were, sitting at desks, failing to file stuff.

They needed enrichment.

After the first impromptu obstacle course had taken out transparisteel that the Guard could ill afford to replace, a nearby speeder (fortunately there were no witnesses), and nearly a pride of tookas, Fox had opened the floor to suggestions before the shinies could contact the Tooka Protection League.

Thorn—who had been listening to Tales from the Underlevels during his patrols—had suggested ghost hunting.

Unfortunately, no one had kneecapped the idea quickly enough.

Which was how Fox ended up riding side-car to Thorn’s investigations into the increasingly fresh bodies that led a trail straight to a weird temple in the heart of the Senate Quarter, and from there—

From there, well. They didn’t find any ghosts, much to Thorn’s disappointment, but they did find some deeply incriminating evidence. Getting paid off by the Banking Clans got them some really fancy equipment for Thorn’s hobby, so. They’d even done a coproduction with Underlevels.

And so there Fox was, courting footrot in the lower levels. He adjusted the view on his cam feed, and cued the audroid. Thorn’s freshly bleached hair looked like a solar flare from this angle. Fox flashed the go signal and started the countdown. For this one, they were streaming live.

Thorn beamed. “Welcome back! Today we’re going to look for activity in this old holding, once occupied by the staff of Hego Damask, who died almost unremarked some years ago. What’s the interest, you might ask?” Thorn stepped closer to the holo. Fox held his breath. “Well, I heard this story. Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?”

At Thorn’s signal, Fox cued the theme song.

[phoenixyfriend]

rexsoka 41

SEND ME A SHIP AND A NUMBER AND I’LL WRITE A SHORT FIC

ghost/living person au

This ask is from May 9, 2023, which is eleven months ago. I don't remember what I was planning for it, but here's what I did get done, which I've crossposted to AO3.

--------

Ahsoka has been doing ghost services for about five years.

It's is the term she usually goes for, at least. "Ghost hunting" sounds amateurish, and "spiritual worker" or "exorcist" tends to draw in the religious types. 

"Ghost services" still isn't great, but she's had more luck with it than others.

It's not bad work. She runs into some interesting people. She gets to call up her brothers pretty often, since the professional community isn't exactly huge. She can make her own schedule, mostly, and she gives her accountant migraines when tax season rolls around. Her job isn't the easiest to classify, as far as types of self-employment go. She thinks they're sticking with something like 'spiritual advisor' or whatever right now.

Ahsoka's not too concerned about it herself.

Coruscant is a big city, and an old one. That means there's a lot going on, as far as ghostly activities go, even if most have either settled into a pattern or long since moved on to greyer pastures.

Not all of them, of course.

--

The military cemetery is very... perfunctory. The grass is not dry, nor is it cropped short by daily mowing. It isn't quite overgrown, but it's as often crabgrass as not; nobody minds, so long as it's not long enough to hide ticks.

The air is brisk and smells of sea salt, and the sky a patchy, pale grey. The stones are almost uniformly of white sandstone or granite, with only a rare few exceptions, and neatly laid out in as close to a grid as the low, rolling hills allow. Some of the graves are from centuries ago. Some are only a few months old.

Ahsoka isn't the only one that visits regularly, with a thermos of hot soup and a brown bag of whatever her eldest brother had dropped off as 'leftovers' in a misguided worry that she can't feed herself now that she's on her own.

(She's twenty-six. She is more than capable of cooking when she wants to. She is also not ashamed to take advantage of Obi-Wan's kindness.)

She makes her way to the bench, and settles herself and her bag. She spreads her lunch across her lap, uncaring of the chances that crumbs will land in the the dip of her skirts between her knees. They wash easy.

Only a few sips into her hot broth, and three bites into Obi-Wan's sandwich, a presence arrives.

Chilly in a way that reaches the bones better than it touches the skin, Rex places a hand onto her shoulder and leans over. "Thought you said you were going to be on a job?"

"Hello to you too, dear."

He laughs and steps through the bench to settle in beside her. He's mostly mastered the art of acting around objects as if they are real to him, and most people wouldn't even notice the bits of his pants fabric that are dipping into the bench instead of resting against it.

They'd notice that he's translucent and blue-ish and faintly glowing, but a girl can't win them all.

[snowywinterevenings]

👀 What's magical conundrum?

This one is the current title for the mage fic that has changed form a hundred times at this point. I think I have it mostly sorted now? We shall see.

Obi-Wan and the Jedi are mages charged with keeping the peace between magical beings and humans. Obi-Wan is a magical being of unknown ancestry who prefers to keep himself wrapped in the illusion of being human. Cody and Rex are bounty hunters, and Fox works security in the senate. Cody comes back from a mission to find his home burned and his brothers missing or dead, and he is attacked by a creature that usually stays in the lower levels of Coruscant. Thankfully he is rescued by the Jedi, and Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka help him to solve the mystery surrounding his brothers.

There was little remaining of the residence he and his brothers had shared when Cody returned from his mission, and panic clawed through him as he jogged toward the charred remains of their home. The buildings beside it appeared untouched by the fire, and that at least was a small relief considering how tightly packed together everything was in the mid levels of the city. But what had caused the fire and where were his brothers? Why hadn’t they contacted him? Were their remains among the ashes?

He staggered toward the ruins of the home they had worked so hard to purchase and caught himself on the blackened brick just beside where their front door had once stood, heart hammering away in his chest. If neither Fox or Rex had made an effort to contact him, it was likely they were gone, lives claimed in the fire, and Cody couldn’t help but feel responsible. He hadn’t been home. He had insisted Rex rest for a few days after a close call on their last hunt that had left him battered and bruised.

And now…

His fingers ghosted over what was left of the kitchen table, large and new to them, found in a secondhand shop and intended to be a place where they could all gather for meals once they were back together. Soot covered his fingertips when he pulled them away, and something in him shattered apart, dropping him to his knees as he whispered his brothers’ names. Nothing and no one had survived the blaze.

Lost in grief, he did not see the creature lurking in the shadows until it let out an ear piercing shriek and tackled him into the debris, crushing the air from his lungs.

[vodika-vibes]

A Spirited Love

Summary: Several years ago, you found a clone helmet on the black market, with his Spirit bound to it. And now, you and Jesse are partners, and maybe more.

Tagging: ARC Trooper Jesse x Reader

Word Count: 2773

Warnings: Smut. Sex between a ghost and a human. Breeding kink. Mentions of Order 66

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: So, I had an idea, and while this wasn't originally going to be smut, it became smut, so go me? Why am I like this when it comes to Jesse. I may, or may not, write a sequel to this one if there's any interest.

You like your job. More than just like it, honestly. You love it.

It’s not the safest, perhaps, but it is important.

You’re a ghost hunter.

Well. Sort of.

You also hunt down other monsters and crawlies that go bump in the night.

And you’re not the only Ghost Hunter on Coruscant, but you are the most effective. Largely because you spend most of your time researching and actually hunting monsters, rather than talking about it to the news.

Sure, this means that you don’t get quite as many cases as some other agencies, but the cases you do get tend to be more complicated than some of the larger agencies can handle.

Which is ironic, if you think about it too hard.

The biggest downside to your career, is that you work, almost exclusively, at night. Which means that you don’t exactly have a bustling social life. Which is totally fine with you…you have all the friends you need.

You push into your office (which is also your apartment) and lightly rap two knuckles on the helmet sitting neatly on your desk, “Rise and shine, beautiful.”

Nothing happens for a moment, and then the helmet’s visor glows for a moment, and the next moment a spirit is standing next to your desk. The man, a former ARC Trooper for the GAR, stretches and yawns, and then flashes a lopsided grin at you, “You look like shit, babe.” Jesse says as he folds his legs to float in the air next to you.

“Yeah, yeah. I’d like you to deal with a Woman in White without coming out looking a little ragged.” You grumble as you drop into your seat behind your desk, “Anything exciting happen while I was out?”

“Mm. The assholes from the Redd Agency tried to break in, so I activated your defenses.” Jesse replies easily, as he floats over to hover jest next to you, “They’re getting pushier.”

You make a face, “I know, I know.” You push your fingers through your hair, and then lean your chin on the palm of your hand, “I’ll just have to start bringing you with me when I go on cases.”

“That was always my preference.” Jesse agrees, “Have you found a way to transfer my connection?”

“I have.” You pull a necklace out of your pocket, “What do you think?”

“Hm…” He takes the necklace from your hand, and examines it closely. For a spirit, Jesse is surprisingly solid, capable of interacting with objects with an ease that surprises you to this day.

You lean back in your seat and you watch Jesse curiously, awaiting his decision.

Five years ago, the Galaxy was at war. The Republic against the Separatists. Four years ago, the Jedi were eradicated when Palpatine enacted order 66, activating the control chips in the Clone Soldiers, and Palpatine turned the Republic into his own personal Empire.

Three and a half years ago things went…wrong.

Here’s what you know from your investigations over the years. It started with a tear under what used to be the Jedi Temple. A small tear, small enough that, had anyone noticed it, this whole event could have been stopped before it began. But either no one noticed it, or no one cared to notice it.

The longer it was ignored, the larger the tear grew, until it was too large to be ignored…and too large to be closed. 

And then things started happening. What things, exactly, you’ve never been able to figure out, as anyone who witnessed it first hand either died to the first wave of monsters…or became monsters themselves.

But what is commonly accepted knowledge is that Palpatine’s actions directly led to the situation as it now exists. 

It also led to the 5 km deadzone, centered on the former Jedi Temple. No one lives in the deadzone, no one living can enter the deadzone without getting ripped to shreds. 

As of now, it’s patrolled by B1 battledroids. 

As for Jesse-

Your gaze drifts to his helmet, according to him he was killed when his ship went down soon after Order 66 went out. And when the event started, his soul ended up getting bound to his helmet. You have a theory that Jesse’s not actually dead, but until such time that you’re able to get to Mandalore to investigate you’ll keep your theory to yourself.

Still, in three years, Jesse’s the most unique spirit you’ve ever met.

“This should work. You’ll be okay wearing me every day?” Jesse asks with an arched brow.

“It’s an anchor, Jess. Not you personally.” You reply with a roll of your eyes as you take the necklace back, “Do you know what you have to do to anchor yourself to it?”

“Better than you do.” He counters snarkily, “Go ahead and lay the necklace on top of my helmet, and then move both into your bedroom.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look, I’m not going to peek at you in the shower.” Jesse says as he folds his arms, “I’m not going to be able to sound the alarm if someone breaks in while I’m moving.”

“Fine, fine.” You push to your feet with a groan, the aches and pains from the night coming back to haunt you, and you grab his helmet and the necklace and head into your room. 

You set Jesse’s helmet on your bedside table, and carefully lay the necklace on top of it. And Jesse leans over your shoulder, “Hm…that looks right.” He’s warm, both his body pressed against your back and his breath against your neck. It’s weird. Spirits, ghosts, are cold. Not warm.

You reach up and light pat his cheek, solid, warm, and you can even feel his stubble under your fingers.

Jesse really is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. “Have fun moving,” You say as you step around him, you’re not sure you’d be able to walk through him if you tried. “I’m going to shower.”

His eyes are bright, “Want some company?”

“You need to get moving.” You point out.

“That’s not a no,” He replies with a grin, and you roll your eyes, causing him to laugh. Jesse winks at you, and then he blinks out of sight, and as you turn towards the fresher, you notice the helmet and the necklace glowing faintly.

By the time you shower, tend to your bruises, and step back into your bedroom properly, Jesse is standing in the center of the room again, holding the necklace in one hand.

“Done already?” you ask, as you walk over to him.

“Yup.” He offers the necklace to you, “Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am that you’re willing to keep me safe, and haven’t tried to throw me in the furnace yet?”

“Repeatedly,” You say as you take the necklace and hang it around your neck. The pendant sits between your collar bones, and it’s warm, almost as though Jesse’s hand was pressed against your chest. “Hm…it’s warm.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. It’ll just take some getting used to.” You climb into your bed and flop on your pillow with a pleased groan, your eyes closing, “Are you good to keep watch, Jess?”

“Yeah, cyare. I have you.”

*********

You sleep like the dead, HA!

Okay, you sleep like the dead are supposed to, and only wake when your alarm chimes loudly in your ear.

You groan and roll over to smack your alarm, and consider going back to sleep for a whole minute.

“You need a vacation, cyare.” Jesse says, sounding annoyingly chipper for…6 at night.

“As if I can afford a vacation.” You mumble as you sit up and blink blearily at him, “Evening, Jess.”

He grins at you, “You could if you took a job at one of the bigger agencies.”

“Pfft. No thanks.” You flop back on your pillow, “I’m perfectly happy with actually getting stuff done.”

Jesse’s grin widens, and you feel the bed dip as he settles on the bed next to you. “You’ve been working non-stop for months, cyare. You need a break.”

“You’re not wrong, but I also need to eat.”

“Well, you don’t have any cases tonight.” Jesse points out, and you feel his hand, warm and surprisingly solid, against your stomach, and then his fingers against your side. You turn your head to look at him, though you don’t try to stop him.

There’s something wistful on his face, “Jess?”

“Stars but I want you.”

You blink at him, lazily, “I know.”

His fingers dip under your tank top and glide against your skin, “It should bother you, cyare. I’m not exactly alive.”

You shrug, “It doesn’t.”

Jesse’s fingers pause, and he stares at you, and you stare right back at him. He leans in and slowly presses his lips against yours. His lips are warm and soft, and so very hesitant, as though he can’t believe that you’re allowing this.

Honestly, you can’t believe it either. It goes against just about every rule of ghost hunting you’ve ever heard.

But you are curious…plus it’s Jesse. 

He shifts so he’s able to push the blanket to the foot of the bed, and then he kneels between your legs, his hands trail up your bare legs, over your hips, and slide under your shirt to push the thin material up, and then off.

His touch is reverent, as he glides his hands over your breasts, his fingers lingering on you pebbling nipples, while his gaze hungrily drags down your body.

“Beautiful,” Jesse murmurs as he pulls back and peels his shirt off. You watch, in a sort of absent curiosity, as the shirt fades away as though it wasn’t there to begin with. 

And then scientific curiosity is washed from your mind as he pulls your hands to his chest, and he leans in to wrap his lips around one of your nipples. A faint moan slips from your lips as desire shoots down to your core, and you eagerly drag your hands down his firm chest.

He moves from one nipple to the other, taking his time to lavish it with just as much attention as the first received, and he’s rewarded with a louder moan. A noise that pulls a pleased groan from him.

“Stars, you're perfect,” Jesse mumbles, before he taps your hips, “Lift them, cyare. Need you naked.”

Obediently, you lift your hips and Jesse mumbles praise under his breath as he slides your panties down your legs and tosses them to the side. His dark gaze is locked on your slick, and he unconsciously drags a finger through your folds, before he brings his finger to his mouth to lick it clean, a moan of pure desire falling from him.

You move to settle your hips back on the bed, but he grips your hips tightly, keeping them raised off the bed. 

“Hold on, cyare,” Jesse whispers reverently, as he grabs a spare pillow and shoves it under your hips, “Are you comfortable?”

You nod mutely, and he leans in to lightly nip the side of your neck, “Use your words, angel. Need to hear your voice.”

“I’m good,” You say, slightly breathlessly. 

“Good.” Jesse exhales slowly, as he lets your legs fall open, and his gaze locks on your pussy, “So pretty. Such a pretty pussy,” He tugs his own pants down, and, like his shirt, it vanishes as though it never existed in the first place.

“Jess-” You whine his name as you feel him, hard and hot, right against where you need him the most.

“I have you, angel.” Jesse murmurs, but he doesn’t slide into you. No, he just rocks against you, his hard cock bumping your clit with every flex of his hips, “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted this, cyare?”

“Tell me,” You gasp.

“Mm,” He leans down and kisses you, deeply and passionately, no longer hesitant, “Every day since you found me.” Jesse murmurs, “Would fist my cock every day, thinking about stuffing my cock in that tight pussy of yours. Would get off on the idea of filling you over and over and over-” He groans low in the back of his throat, and his hand slides down to your stomach, “Would get off on the idea of you swelling with my seed-”

You whimper, and try to rock against him, and Jesse grins.

“Oh, my pretty girl has something of a breeding kink, does she?” He kisses you again and again.

You flush, “Jesse…”

“Tell me,” He orders, his voice low and heavy with desire, “Tell me you want my cock. Tell me you want me to fill you over and over-” He slots his weeping cock at your entrance, “Tell me what you want, my perfect girl, and I’ll give it to you.”

You whine, “Want you,” You manage to gasp out.

“You have me. I’m not going anywhere. Be more specific.”

You groan in frustration, “Jesse…please!”

“Tell me.” He repeats, “Use those pretty words of yours, angel.”

“Want your cock!” You blurt, “Please!”

And sharp moan rips from your lips as he pushes deep inside you, and starts at an almost punishing pace. And you love it. You arch your back to meet his thrusts and trail your fingers over his abdomen and chest, able to feel his muscles flexing under your fingers.

He pushes you closer and closer to your orgasm, his grip bruising around your hips, and then, just as you’re about to fall over the edge, he pulls out, and you release a broken cry of his name.

He chuckles low in the back of his throat, and then effortlessly flips you onto your knees. Gently, but firmly, he places his hand between your shoulder blades and pushes your head into your pillow, before he slides back into you and continues his punishing pace.

“Gonna fill you, cyare.” Jesse groans as he reaches around you and starts quickly rubbing your clit, “Going to fill you over and over, until you can’t walk, until I’m the only thing you can think of.”

You whimper and clench tightly around him, pulling a deep groan from him.

His finger starts moving even faster, “Come on, cyare. Come for me.” He bites down on your shoulder and then the back of your neck, “Fall apart for me, baby. I have you.”

You shudder, and whimper at the, almost, overwhelming sensations, and then you fall apart around him with a cry of his name. Jesse curses, and pulls his hand away from your clit to tightly grip your hips, his thrusts grow harder, and then his pace falters and his thrusts become shallow.

Jesse buries his face in the back of your neck as he spills his release deep inside you, praise and moans falling from him in equal measure. And only when he’s sure he’s totally spent, does he pull out, and fall onto the bed next to.

You sink, bonelessly, to the bed, and hum in pleasure as he shifts and adjusts you so that he’s able to press light kisses to your head, “So much better than just my imagination,” Jesse mumbles.

And you laugh, turning your head slightly to face him, “Yeah?” You ask, still slightly breathless.

“Yeah.” He turns his head to look at you, and his arm wraps snugly around you, “I hope we can do it again?” Jesse asks hopefully.

You smile at him, “I wouldn’t say no.”

Jesse grins, “Did you know that I love you?” He offers, totally honestly.

“Well, you had better, because I don’t sleep with just anyone.”

His eyes brighten, and he opens his mouth to say something, only to get interrupted by the shrill sound of  your comm dinging. He scowls at the device, and his scowl deepens when you roll over to grab it.

“Let me guess, you have a case.” Jesse mutters.

“We have a case.” You correct as you scan the information. And then you smile at him and tap the necklace hanging around your neck, “You can come with me now.”

His scowl vanishes into a delighted smile, “Finally!”

You glance at him as you roll out of bed on shaky legs, “Oh, by the way. I love you too.”

And Jesse beams at you, his delight causing him to float off the bed.

Someday, you’ll have to find a way to explore Mandalorian Space, to see if you can find out what happened to Jesse’s body, and you’ll have to have a difficult conversation with him. But right now, well, right now you have a job to do.

[bolithesenate]

NONHUMAN DOOKU AND BB-WAN!!?? YES PLEASE!!!

how nonhuman are we talking about?

well, the nonhuman here is just my headcanons for serennian fucked up biology. So we've got the preference for raw meat, the hunting instincts, the general predator behavior and chirps and chitters

as for obi I'm pulling some feral stewjoni fanon i've seen ghost around in fandom.

the main plot is that baby-wan accidentally crasges in on a meditating Dooku while trying to hunt a rat or something and Dooku takes one look at him and decides he's gotta teach this kid how to hunt bc evidently no one else is gonna

then they have a nice bonding hunting trip on coruscant's lower level & terrorize some local mandos and then, just right for dinner, dooku brings obi back.

Vant is not a fan

[captainpains]

Vigilance (Commander Fox x reader)

Fun for Foxy! Enjoy!

Warnings: gn reader, vigilante reader (but like Carmen Sandiego), swearing, mentions of alcohol and unsavory acts towards women, sexual tension, flirty banter, mentions of terrorism. No beta, we die like clones!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the lower levels of Coruscant, where the police and clones are scarce, there is rumored to be a protector.

A vigilante.

Someone who stopped the gangs from killing the civilians. Someone who halted thieves and saved women from drunken aggressors. Someone who insured the safety of the people on the lower levels when no one else cared. Someone who had evacuated the survivors of the power station attack. Someone who always wore a bright red coat.

That someone was you.

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

Fox sighed as he looked over the reports on his datapad. Paper work was never ending -- he'd hadn't slept in days. He took a sip of his caf and continued to read the report on the lower levels. The crime rate had dropped, not exponentially but enough for it to be noticable. That would be a good thing on a normal day, however, what made this stand out was the fact that the guard had been absent from the lower levels for a whole month. Fox knew this drop wasn't caused by the police force (maker knows they’re useless). He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on his door. 

"Come in," he said tiredly, taking a sip of caf.

"Sir," the shiny saulted. "This security footage came in this morning. I think it's worth a look."

"Give it here," he ordered. The shiny handed the datapad to him, and with a second sault left back to his duties. 

Fox looked at the datapad. The footage he had was of poor quality, but from what he could tell, it may have solved his mystery. The blurry video showed what he assumed to be a break in, followed by a figure in red stopping them. The person, from what he could see, was human. The video had at least given him a lead. However, when he tried to run a facial scan on the figure in red, the still frame was such poor quality the system didn’t work.

And so started the hunt for the crimson hero.

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

Months later, Fox was still working on the case. It was far from his top priority, but his curiosity had been peaked when he saw that first video. Slowly, the mysterious crimson ghost (as the guard called you) began to show up more in security footage. The commander had even managed to pick up a trail, only it proved fruitless in the end. You always managed to evade any attempted capture. 

“Cheer up, vod,” Hound said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. “That Crimson Ghost can’t avoid the guard forever.”

Fox rolled his eyes and went back to staring down at his drink. By some miracle, the rest of the guard had convinced him to join them at 79′s for drinks. He needed a break from the whiny senators. Unfortunately, it didn’t help him relax much. 

“I’m heading back...” Fox muttered as he stood up.

Despite the protest of his friends, he moved through the sea of dancing people and towards the exit of the clone bar. Once outside, Fox took a deep breath, for once appreciating the stale night air. He moved through the small crowd of people. 

Before Fox could reach the platform where taxis were waiting, he got tackled and trampled by a couple of men running away from someone. He managed to stand up just in time to see a red figure fly after the men.

The crimson ghost.

Fox broke out in a sprint chasing after them. He was not a nimble as the red figure, dodging everything that would slow the chase. It was only when the men turned down an alleyway that he had an idea to catch up. He took a shortcut through a store and exited through the back door into the alley. He slowed to a stop and looked around, seeing nothing there, he slowly continued into the alley, pulling his blaster from its hidden place in his civi jacket.

"I have to give it to you, you're persistent," a somewhat husky voice said from above.

He was prepared when you dropped down in front of him, holding his blaster in a way that he could kill you if you tried anything. You took notice of this and raised your hands to be next to your head. Fox looked over your shadowed form, checking for any hidden weapons (or so he told himself).

"And you are very hard to catch," he replied slowly.

"Nice to know that I've been keeping the Coruscant guard on their toes," you replied.

Commander Fox looked at you, a questioning look on his face. You were different than he expected. The blurry security footage of you made it seem like you were so serious, yet you were teasing him with all the mirth of a brother.

"Where are the men you were chasing?" He asked, surveying the alley.

"Have you tried looking up?" You asked back, with a teasing tone.

Fox raised a brow but slowly turned his eyes skyward. He saw the two men tied together, hanging by their feet attached to a pipeline. They were gagged and from the looks of it unconscious.

"Impressive," was all he said as he turned his eyes back towards you.

"I do have a few questions for you, but first and foremost, I'd like to thank you for single-handedly lowering the crime rate in the lower levels. That is no easy feat." He complimented you.

"Why thank you," you smiled, giving a small bow. Fox hated to admit that his heart sped up at the sight. He lowered his blaster and put it back into his jacket.

"Thank you, sir. But I can't take all the credit. A few of your men led me to some criminals a couple of times." You replied, slightly bashful.

It was weird. He hadn't expected a vigilante to be bashful, but it was endearing in a way. It meant that you weren't arrogant at least.

"I would like you to come with me," you looked at him confused when he said that. "I have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" You asked, intrigued.

"You could be an asset to the guard. I'd like to propose you working more closely with us, help patrol the lower levels," he explained. "We can discuss details."

"You'll have to buy me a drink first, commander," you quipped back.

"That can be arranged."

You looked at him slightly stunned as a shiver went down your spine at his words. You hadn't expected him to respond like that, and especially not in that tone. His voice had dropped several octaves and his tone was so... Sexual. Why did he have to say it like that?

"Oh..." Was all you responded with, dumbly.

Commander Fox simply moved to the side slightly and made a gesture for you to walk ahead of him. Before you left the alleyway, you removed your red coat, showing the commander the satchel that was hidden. You shoved the coat in your bag.

It was a quiet walk back to 79′s. You thanked Fox for holding the door open and went to the bar. Fox lagged behind a bit. When you looked over your shoulder, you saw the commander talking to some other clones from the Corrie guard. One of them slapped him on the back and they were clearly giving him a pep talk.

“Sorry about that," he apologized when walked over.

"That's fine. But I was promised a drink and yet here I am empty handed," you teased.

Fox hummed, leading you to the bar with a hand hovering near your lower back.

"What's your drink of choice?"

"Corellian Rum, please."

The commander nodded, waving his hand to get the attention of the bartender. The bartender nodded his head in acknowledgement before he holding up his finger, signaling to give him a movement. Fox turned back to you, watching as you settled into a barstool.

"Now, what is this proposal you had in mind, commander?" You asked, leaning your head on your hand.

"We need help. We have no presence in the lower levels. We can't keep them all safe." He explained, bluntly.

"And what do you need me to do?"

"You can move more freely than we can. You can also act as an informant, giving us tip offs to help manage my men."

You hummed. It was not an untrue statement. It is hard to predict underworld activity if you have no presence in the lower levels. But what would you get in return for such a deal? It seemed a little one sided.

The bartender finally came over while you were deep in thought. Fox ordered you both a glass of Corellian rum.

"And what is my payment?"

Fox shorted, "This partnership would be a off books. You wouldn't get any money."

"I was not asking about money." You gave a sly grin.

Fox smirked, intrigued. He did expect you to ask for payment. However, he thought you would want credits. But... he was willing to negotiate alternative forms of payment (forms that would be mutually beneficial).

"We can discuss that later," Fox insisted as the bartender placed your drinks in front of you. "Lets drink to making this galaxy safer."

You picked up your drink, "To a new partnership."

"To the Republic."

You both downed your drinks, small smiles on your faces. This was a great start.

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

Months after the arrangement was made, you were sitting in Fox's minimal office, discussing the recent removal of a crime lord.

"It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be that easy," you pointed out to him.

"I know. It's almost suspicious, but we can't look a gift bantha in the mouth," he replied as he finished filing the paperwork.

"But he seemed to go too easily. I've dealt with that syndicate before, and they never went down that easily," you explained, moving to sit down on one of the small velvet chairs that Fox had pillaged from the trash. You threw your legs over the armrest and settled further into the seat.

"Suspicious as it is, he's now under the strongest security that we have. You don't have to worry," he attempted to alleviate your worry.

"Yeah, Crimson, you don't have to worry a hair on your pretty little head," Thire exclaimed as he walked in, datapad in hand. He patted your foot as he walked by.

"I told you not to call me that," you chastised him with a huff.

"Crimson or pretty?" He jokingly asked as he handed the datapad to Fox.

"You know which one I mean."

"Do I really?"

You huffed at him. Thire smiled and left the office. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Fox cleared his throat.

"It's late," he stated plainly.

You hummed in response, not understanding what he meant to imply.

"You should head home," he replied, putting the datapad on the desk.

"I'm fine here," you said, nonchalantly.

"You shouldn't stay up late..."

"Are lecturing me on staying up late? When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" You fired back, closing your eyes.

"You have-"

"With all due respect commander, if you expect others to follow your lead, you can't be a hypocrite. If you want me to sleep, then you should go to bed, too," you explained, letting your eyes shut. You smiled at the frustrated growl that left his throat. He knew you right.

"Fine... If I call it a night, will you go home," he conceded.

"Yes, but I want you to actually go to sleep. I'll ask Thorn in the morning and if you didn't sleep, I'll stop bringing you caf," you stood up and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the door.

"I hate you..." Fox muttered.

"You know you love me," you replied coyly.

He knew you were right on that too.

[singswan-springswan]

SW werewolf AU

yep, welcome back to another hyper fixated rambling! this one is heavy on found family though so it might be a bit more bearable.

Okay I've decided to center the concept on Ghost crew and slap it in the modern world just for funsies, since that means I can restructure the politics and whatever.

First off, I've decided that the jedi are all werewolves (or cats maybe? Ahsoka gives me cat vibes but she hardcore needs to be part of the pack so ig that can be left up to debate). They live human lives but have their own culture and events and get-togethers or hunts and such when they get home ofc. very strong bonds between pack members. Instead of calling themselves "werewolves" (despite that being the most colloquial and widely accepted term) some of them like to say they are "wolf bloods" because I guess that sounds more sophisticated. Almost all packs originate from the largest one in Coruscant (not a planet, just a region or somn), which has lots of intricate dynamics since also the alpha beta omega hierarchy is a thing. the way I want it to happen though is that their designation in the pack doesn't mean rank; it translates more directly to what role they play. I know that's not how actual wolf packs hash it out but think of it this way: omegas are sent out to do the nitty gritty field work, like buying groceries. Betas are responsible for caring for the overall health of the pack, and will use those groceries to make dinner for everyone. Alphas delegate everything, so they gave the omegas the shopping list and also the credit card and made sure everyone made it home from school and work on time to eat. Pack members are typically acquired through birth, though on the occasion they absorb an outsider who might have been changed with a bite.

Since Anakin and Co. would be kinda side characters in this au (but also because he's my bestie and I had to indulge him), he and Padme are like. soulmates. you know the ones. from wattpad. it only makes sense. when she found out about Anakin being a wolf blood that was a Whole Thing but she was eventually adopted by the pack and she agreed to be bitten so now the little puppies (Luke and Leia) are running around causing chaos with their abnormal and powerful supernatural abilities.

I want to say all the supernatural stuff kinda floats around the world while most humans are totally blind to it. Like Ventress has to be a vampire or a banshee or something, Sheev is an annoying breed of warlock, and Zeb needs to be a Creature not sure what kind.

anyway Kanan wanders away from the Coruscant pack because he's having a midlife crisis and wants to find himself. Depa and Mace kind of just snort and wave him off. It's pretty standard practice for young alphas to do stuff like that. Most end up rejoining the pack, but some do start their own in a different territory. Kanan finds his way to Lothal where he buys a cute lil house with his so much money (Mace is screaming Rich and taught his grandson how to invest like a champ yessir). He starts tending the local bar and decides to integrate with the nice townspeople just for a fun lil side quest.

Enter Hera, stage left. She's the captain of the local police precinct and has been operating out of Lothal for a few years now. She transferred from the Ryloth sector. Her dad is the chief of stations there. Actually, Hera and Kanan met once when she was still a detective. He thinks it's a great coincidence that their paths converge again, though her tough, stubborn attitude towards him is cold and professional (it's mostly because she remembers how crazy and fun he was and she doesn't want to be distracted from work). They dance around each other, as they do. Kanan is in love before he fully realizes. Something, something, he knows she's human, knows he can't start a pack with her, facetimes Anakin to rant about it, gets laughed at, Padme eventually bombs the call and tells him to go for it bc after all look how she and Anakin turned out (something crashes in the background. There is yelling. Obi-wan chases a Leia who is laughing maniacally while Luke complains about not being able to focus on his homework). Along the way they mention the increase in hunter activity in the Lothal area, so be careful bout that. Kanan has a hard time figuring out whether Hera knows about the supernatural side of things (she doesn't), but if she does he's starting to suspect she'd side with the infamous mandalorian hunters. She told him a story bout monsters and needing to protect the town and stuff. He's not sure how to convince her that not all non-humans are off the rails bat-kriff insane when he JUST got off the phone with the Disaster Lineage Family as they were in the process of burning their house down (you'd think werewolves would be more careful about playing with fire). He decides to go it safe for now. He'll tell her when he's ready (lol loser). 

In the meantime, Zeb and Kanan meet. Zeb runs into him like at the grocery store and they kinda just glare at each other across the fruit aisle. Zeb sniffs obnoxiously a few times "what are ye?" He grumbles. Kanan is momentarily confused. He holds up a banana. "A smoothie guy?" Zeb's eyes narrow. "Ya smell like wet dog from here." (It's raining outside) Kanan gasps, offended. He sniffs his shirt, and all he gets is old spice deodorant (the one he knows hera likes). "I do not!"

Something, something, Zeb eventually places him as a wolf blood (he uses the preferred term, which gets him back on Kanan's good side). Zeb also reveals that he's… whatever he is, some kind of bestial not werewolf thing that can also shapeshift into a human for disguise. Maybe a yeti? a werebear? 👀 Weeeeeee! Anyway Zeb's a social worker at the group home where Ezra's staying atm.

"I've got this kid." He explains to Kanan. "Maybe you can check him out for me."

"What the—I'm not a babysitter."

"Just tell me if he's like you! It's not that hard, kriff. He's got no pack. That's important for you lot, isn't it?"

Kanan agrees to test Ezra somehow. Picks him up from school on Zeb's orders, takes him to get burgers at the local diner like classic spodermun energy, figures out that there's a wolf stalking Ezra (grand inquisitor) and they've had a few run-ins for the past few months. Like Ezra would never out and out say any of that but Kanan's smarter than he looks give him some credit. Also there are shifty red eyes in the flower bed across the street (Kanan's getting really protective now). In classic creepy creep fashion, they get into a car wreck on the way back through the woods. Something, something, Kanan's tires got slashed, the car tips, Kanan's hauling Ezra out by the time he wakes up, then like, runs off into the dark to chase what he's pretty sure is that prick stalker wolf because he's new to dad-ing and didn't think to not leave his kid alone. Grand inquisitor (he should really get an actual name. Maybe we can call him GI? GI Hoe?) Circles back to ezra and attacks him (poor guy) and bites him before Ezra konks out again. He wakes up in the morning like back at the house and everything is totally normal (Kanan really finessed his way out of that) Zeb is making waffles downstairs and school is in half an hour. He'd ask to skip but he feels great. Actually, there's no sign of any injuries (wolf bloods do heal fast ya know), as if the whole thing was one big dream. Except for the fact that he's having a mild sensory overload. Sight, sound, smell are all suddenly maxed out. You know.

Kanan actually brought Ezra back after the whole thing with GI Hoe in the woods (Kanan beat him up and got in the car and kept driving) then immediately dumped his car in the shop. So Zeb knows, but neither of them are totally sure that Ezra is a puppy yet so they decided to just keep a close eye on him until they know. Meanwhile Ezra's having a very weird day at school. He's not sure he can rant to any of his friends about what he's definitely sure happened last night because he has no evidence and anyway they've all got better things to focus on. Jai and Zare are stressing about midterms coming up, and Sabine keeps griping about an impromptu family reunion that's brought a bunch of really scary (in Ezra's opinion) relatives into town who have a mildly freakish obsession with hunting. Ezra's seen her basement. It's a kriffing armory down there.

Anyway classic Ezra trying to juggle all these crazy changes happening to him in the cliche textbook way except he doesn’t have a best friend guy in the chair sidekick to google obscure mythical articles about werewolves for him so he’s doing everything by himself (may or may not be skipping a few classes). Eventually Ezra runs into Kanan again. Probably because he shifted during a moonspell and ran around crazy and Kanan had to snatch him before Hera could shoot the kid. Kanan’s still got no idea how to parent so instead of calmly explaining stuff he just yells at ezra and tells him to be more careful. It doesn’t occur to Kanan that Ezra wasn’t born into a pack and has absolutely no kriffing idea what’s going on. Poor baby. Ezra figures out about Kanan “You’re a werewolf!” *cue more offended gasping* “where did you learn that slur?” “Oh my gOD you literally have fangs!” "what makes you think I'm not a vampire?" "Uh, you're not grossly pale?" "Not all vampires can be pale." "You also wear jeans" "kriff, that's true"

At first Ezra blames Kanan for all the crap he's now subjected to. He's scared and unsure and alone and looking for something to take it out on, and Kanan is convenient because he's just kinda there. But he gets defensive when Ezra confronts him "what do you mean my fault? Ain't got nothing to do with your problems, the kriff?" Ezra's shaking with all the rage trapped in his tiny body with his hands clenched into fists "yes it is! You're the one who bit me!" And Kanan's just dumbfounded and incredulous like first of all excuse you no I did not I was raised better than that holy kark. All pups are taught at a young age that it's very bad manners to Bite someone on a whim. And Kanan may be selfish but he'd never just dump the transformation on a kid with no warning. So then they're just both staring at each other like wait so then who bit Ezra and even GI Hoe denies it when they catch him and beat him up for answers like yeah he's bitten Ezra before but it wasn't The Bite so Kanan realizes that Ezra must have been born a wolf blood and the sudden appearance of a pack near his previously unoccupied home territory plus also him reaching the age where his powers start to get stronger must have triggered an awakening in his body or something. He would have manifested his wolf blood abilities much younger if his parents hadn't died and if he'd been incorporated into a large pack (he would have been so cute as a baby wolf but alas). 

On the one hand, it's reassuring to Ezra knowing there are other wolf bloods out there, but Kanan also was not looking for a pseudo son on his quest for self-discovery so he's being annoying and generally unhelpful about it. Of course, that attitude changes when GI Hoe starts to make his intentions known. He's already got a pack, which reflects the more traditional structure that we're familiar with reading about: very hierarchical, very antagonistic, glowing red eyes, often attacks humans or livestock for funsies. Tensions between inquisitors are high as always so they're constantly looking for new recruits (they kill each other all the time). He keeps trying to adopt Ezra for his ranks, sensing that Ezra could be a powerful asset. when Kanan discovers this, he goes full dad mode and claims Ezra as part of his fam. This leads to lots of confrontations with inquisitors and ultimately ends in the death of GI Hoe. Subsequently the pack is scattered and leaves Lothal territory. Auntie Soka visited from Coruscant to help with that part a bit because she wanted a vacation from spying on Sheev for Padme. She brings her mate Rex (not sure if to make him and the boys another kind of shapeshifter like dragons or just have them be Normal Guys) so they all have fun family bonding.

Kanan tells Ahsoka about how he's in love with Hera and what should he do about it and she is unimpressed with his drama "just bite her. I don't see what the problem is" he is aghast. He would never force something like that on Hera! Plus he's been dancing around the topic with her for a while and he's pretty sure she would hate him if she found out he was a wolf blood—doubly so if he made her into one against her will. Not that he's even told her they exist. As far as Hera's concerned, the mythical world is not reality. Ahsoka is still unimpressed.

Oh by the way Sabine's family are all hunters. Like wolf blood/vampire/faerie/dragon/troll/whatever else hunters which only makes sense if you think about it because they're mandalorians aka the mortal enemies of the jedi (all of whom are some kind of non-human in this AU). Sabine at her age has already learned all the skills and weapons she will need to kill Stuff, and has herself already made a few excellent plaques to adorn her room (after Ezra realizes he's a wolf blood, he starts to hate hanging out at her house. It lowkey gives him panic attacks, now that he knows what kind of wolf heads she's got mounted over her desk). She obviously doesn't talk about the mythical stuff with people outside her family, at least in specific detail. She only ever rants about their group "hunts" but never mentions what they're hunting in exact names. Boy would it be traumatic for her to realize her best friend is one of the beasts she's been trained to kill since she was small. Maximum angst if she shoots him once or twice in his wolf form and continually tracks him (lol poor guy) to the point that she considers him her trophy kill and is determined to get That One if it's the last thing she does. This makes Ezra very sad boi hours. He loves his friend but obviously he doesn't wanna die. One time Sabine almost got him (oh no!) Then Kanan stepped in at the last second and almost killed her before Ezra stopped him and yeah it's just all around a lot of violence weeeee. Hera really can't keep up with all these animal attack reports. 

When Sabine finds out she is furious and horrified and feels very betrayed and has lots of strong feelings but can't actually bring herself to kill Ezra after all because she loves her friend too and like so does her family he's over for dinner all the time and lowkey they were considering adopting him. What wins her over in the end is that he carries himself like a sad puppy all over the place which is both adorable and depressing. Her dad was also there when she found out so he gets her to keep quiet about it and not tell the rest of the Wrens yet because he knows it'd be signing poor Ezra's death sentence and he can't bear to think about that (Sabine's dad was always loyal to the family and supportive of their hunting but Ezra is Ezra and literally one of the fundamental laws of the universe is protect the baby). Eventually Sabine manages to turn her family because she's cool like that and convinces them to hunt only problematic creatures instead (cough cough palpacreep).

Somehow Maul exists. Another warlock maybe? I dunno he's annoying.

Kallus can just be human. He's probably a lieutenant who works for Hera. They're bros. They have coffee together. He doesn't get paid enough to deal with their shenanigans.

Things that need to happen in this AU:

Hera hits wolf Kanan with her car while on patrol. Horrified by having rammed an animal at country road speed, she springs into action, stuffing this larger than abnormally large wolf into her back seat and flicking the lights and siren on. When she gets to the animal hospital, the vet is out. It’s just Intern Ezra locking up the building. Hera is frantic. Thank goodness Ezra is still here! She needs his help! Ezra’s always willing to help an animal in distress, but when he sees it’s Kanan, he almost considers breaking his code. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He deadpans. Kanan glares. Hera doesn’t understand what’s going on, and Ezra needs to keep face so he reluctantly helps her cart the wolf inside, where he takes some X-rays and does some busy-body nonsense in the back. He returns to an anxious Hera in the waiting room, who has pledged to pay any bill or charge in full. “Good news! It’s not as bad as it looks.” (Kanan has broken his leg in three places and cracked two ribs but Hera doesn’t need to know that) She is relieved and vows to return as soon as she can. Ezra goes and whacks Kanan upside the head. “You can change back now. She’s gone.” He throws an arm over his eyes and wheezes. “That kriffing hurt.” The next day, when Kanan sees Hera for some reason he’s wearing the usual leg brace under his sweatpants to hide that but something, something, his shirt rides up and she sees the bruising all down his side and her brain short circuits “How did that happen?” it takes all of Kanan’s willpower not to say “hit by a car”

Ahsoka eats a man

Luke and Leia make the national news

Palpatine gets impeached and also imprisoned in a fish bowl where he is forced to live out the rest of his miserable days stripped of magic

When Kanan begrudgingly agrees to teach Ezra the basics of wolf stuff they go out in the woods together and practice shifting. Hera sees them once and is delighted to find the wolf she ran down doing well “Hello again! Aww, your son is so cute!” (Ezra is thrilled to be called cute by nice police lady Hera)

The first time Hera brings Kanan home Chopper her cat goes apespit hissing and yowling and absolutely wrecking the furniture to get away. When it becomes apparent that Kanan is to be invited back multiple times, Chopper begins the series of attempted murders. Hera can’t puzzle out why her cat is more hostile than usual meanwhile Kanan is sweating buckets because every time he leaves his scent in Hera’s house it makes Chopper lose another brain cell

Zeb is mistaken for Bigfoot by some late-night hiker

Okadiah has just always known about Kanan and everyone. He just sits there chilling like he’s not really anything Special he’s a normal human but he knows and just sits there with popcorn and ice tea watching all this drama unfold

[geekcavepodcast]

"The Bad Batch" Gets Solo Comic Series

Dark Horse and Lucasfilm Publishing have announced a Bad Batch solo comic miniseries. Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents is written by Michael Moreci and illustrated by Reese Hannigan, with Elisabetta D’Amico, Michael Atiyeh, and lettering by Comicraft.

The Bad Batch clones are said to have a 100% success rate, but this time they may have met their match. This time "they are on a mission to hunt down the mysterious Separatist ghost agent who executed a daring heist on Coruscant! The thief’s trail leads Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech to the seediest corners of the galaxy, a place where kingpins and thugs threaten the clones’ mission—and their lives!" (Dark Horse)

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 (of 5) goes on sale on January 15, 2025. Issues sport main covers by Valeria "Lux" Favoccia and variant covers by French Carlomagno.

(Image via Dark Horse - Not Final Cover Art for Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1)

[jessicas-pi]

9, 13, and 24 for the teenage rebellion au?

Yay, more asks!! :D

9. Is there a scene you wish you could've included, but couldn't? Why?

Gosh, yeah. Ever since the Ahsoka show came out, I've wanted to write a bit where Inquisitor!Ezra is assigned to babysit the newest and youngest addition to the Inquisitorius, except he also has secret plans to meet Sabine that night which he really doesn't want to miss, so he decides to just bring the kid along. What could go wrong? Well, turns out, the answer is A Lot, as the kid, who happens to be Shin Hati, books it the heck out of there the first chance she gets to cause as much chaos and property damage as possible, and what was supposed to be a nice date night turns into a mad dash across Coruscant in something strongly resembling Yzma and Kronk's hunt for Kuzco, if Kuzco was a slightly feral 12-year-old with a laser sword, and Yzma and Kronk were teenagers who couldn't stop flirting long enough to form a cohesive plan besides "follow the sound of traffic accidents and hope for the best," which I realize doesn't sound much like the Emperor's New Groove at all, but trust me, the comedy vibes are the exact same.

Unfortunately, this isn't gonna work, due to the simple fact that Mara is already dubbed Youngest Sister, and Shin is about four years younger than her, so, like... what would they even call her?

13. Write a lil snippet set in this verse.

ohhhh ok ok how about some pain???

She stumbled through the first door she could find--a cluttered supply closet--and scrabbled to release the clasps on her mask, gasping for breath. The coldness rubbed her mind raw, boring into her like blasting sand in a desert storm. She wanted to claw at her own skin until the horrible Darkness drained out of her like drops of blood. She had hoped. She had believed. She thought she could fix things, save just the child if she could save no one else. But the child was older now, and Falling farther and farther, and Anakin was a monster, and the other Inquisitors--people who were once Jedi, people who she once loved--were past hope. All was lost, and the only thing Ahsoka had managed to do was to destroy herself.

24. Ramble about something you haven't gotten to talk about yet.

OOH OK OK SOOO. At first glance, this AU is either a cracky or angsty fic, depending on which way any given story swings, without too much depth in it, where all the fics are named with lyrics from ABBA songs (don't ask me why. I don't know). But!!! There are two big, serious themes in this AU, as well. One is redemption, and the other one, which I'm gonna ramble about, is family. Good family, bad family, blood family, found family--all of it.

The Inquisitors all go by "Brother" and "Sister", and some of them--especially Ezra and Mara--actually do view each other as siblings. (Others... not so much.) Basically, as a whole, the Inquisitorius functions as a big, messed up family. Vader sees Ezra and Mara as the children he lost, but his love for them is selfish and possessive. Even the kids, to a smaller extent, also have an... I don't want to say "unhealthy relationship" because theirs is by far the most healthy dynamic in the whole Inquisitorius, but their relationship definitely isn't optimal, as Ezra's had to be both a brother and a parent to Mara since he was five.

Meanwhile, Sabine is living as a virtual prisoner with her relatives on Coruscant. She feels abandoned by all of her blood family, except for her brother. While she has friends in Luke and Leia, and a motherly figure in Vere, she's extremely lonely and isolated.

But also, there's the Organas, and the Naberries (who adopted Luke,) and even Luke and Leia--though they don't know they're blood siblings (yet). There'a also the Ghost crew (who will be showing up eventually), and while I would really, really love to elaborate on said Ghost crew, as well as SEVERAL other people/groups of people that tie into the theme of GOOD family, I'm not going to, because in this AU, the good family elements mostly tie into the happy ending, so I'd have to spoil a lot of the plot to do it.

[megamindsupremacy]

Star Wars Fic Recs (Part 3)

Conviction by sassysnowperson

Obi-Wan Kenobi is accused of killing Chancellor Palpatine. The galaxy is hunting him.

So why did Bail decide to hide him in Breha's private medical suite?

"Breha," Bail pleaded. "If nothing else, we owe him."

-

I thought I fought this war alone by stonefreeak

Obi-Wan is thirteen years old, just about to start learning Ataru from his Master.

Obi-Wan is sixty-one years old, dead and one with the Force since four years back.

Obi-Wan is both, and neither.

-

Shades in the desert by loosinetters

Not even from a certain point of view did Darth Vader kill Anakin Skywalker. He wished he did, but the specter of the Jedi’s light escaped before he could finalize his fall to the dark. Meanwhile, Anakin is raising his son on Tatooine.

It would be easier if: 1) he weren’t a Force ghost nobody but his toddler could see and 2) Obi-Wan would stick around so somebody could teach Luke about the Force.

-

A Tale of Two Ahsokas by ileyna_sylph and merfilly

All Ahsoka (either of them) wanted in life was to make it all better. Sometimes, especially when a Force Avatar can bend the rules, wishes can be pushed through. Maybe.

-

Life has a way of rewriting the story by K_R_Closson

Obi-Wan Kenobi, failed Jedi initiate, never makes it to Bandomeer. Instead, she lands on Tatooine and has to figure out how to survive on a desert planet without losing her freedom.

When Anakin's destiny takes him to Coruscant and the Jedi, is this Obi-Wan's second chance? Or does her future lie elsewhere, with Jango Fett and his mysterious job on Kamino?

-

Our orbits unwind by elthadriel

CC-5052 climbed into CC-2224’s bunk sometime in the middle of the night cycle, and they slotted naturally together in a way that betrayed a familiarity that 24 didn’t remember forming.

“I dreamed about her again,” 50 said.

-

Back to you by ambiguously

Depa has spent more years than she can count locked in a small Imperial cell, until the day she's rescued by a small Rebel team.

-

stars sing my name,scars tell my story by whymylife (nabringa)

Anakin wasn’t sure how to ask, so he didn't.

Instead, he waited until Master Kenobi fell asleep and stayed up to tinker in the dark, building his own scanner out of parts stolen from the trash.

The chip was in his right thigh.

-

|free the hearts and rust the chains| by littlekarakan

There aren't many clones left in the Imperial Army. The ones that stay alive do so through methodical obeisance, resembling droids more than people.

Occasionally, some go rogue. There are stories of clones blowing up entire Star Destroyers for the Generals they killed themselves, stories of them awaiting execution and spitting curses at the officers for depriving the Galaxy of what should've become peace, stories of quiet, sobbed apologies in their sleep directed at the long-dead Jedi. Such clones, according to the Imperial Command, are not to be trusted.

Zhade-Ran doesn't trust her two bunkmates. Although perhaps not for the reasons she should.

-

Still dancing with your ghosts (sleeping with your memories) by jcp_sob_rlj_lmep

Everyone knows about the Massacre, and how no Jedi made it out alive.

The Jedi refuse to let anyone forget.

[targaryenismuses]

Raquelle Jobal Naberrie

Born: 22 BBY

Fandom: Star Wars Oc

CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

She was born one of the

lasts heirs to the throne of Mandalore. Growing up as the

secret child of her parents,

however didn't last long.

Due to a trader giving her identity to the new formed government The Galactic Empire.

Only having a normal childhood for

two years, she barely remembered.

Her new life began on the planet Tatooine in hiding with her mother.

Having a simple life of home schooling like every child would go

through. Also she was to be trained

as a Jedi like her mother before her.

Wanting to keep her Mandalorian

Culture alive her mother made sure she fought like one too.

This however made Ricki fight rough and used her emotions more during

combat. Causing a fear of her falling to the dark side in her. Due to her mother, Reina, being extra protective over her. It made It made the young Naberrie a trouble

marker. She'd always sneak out and

rob new travelers of extra credits in their pockets.

Ricki used the extra

credits to help her mother pay for

bills, food, clothes, etc. She just lied

and said she got a job helping the Lars with their farm work. No one

on the dust bowl of the planet was

looking to hire a scrawny teenager

unless she wanted to go work for

the Hutts. Believe the force, she

wishes she could run her fist

through the whole Hutt

Clans.

With the force on her side, she never got caught by the wrong person. She just got caught by her mother one night when she found out Ricki never had a job. The two broke out into a fight that changed their relationship. She went to her room and her mind was just running. Her mother was holding her back. She was powerful could take on anyone or anything in the galaxy. She could be the change the galaxy needed.

Early the next morning, Ricki was on the transport and off the transport and off the planet to Coruscant.

She was 16 and alone.

While on the run she ran into an

order 66 survior named Quinlan

Vos, he gave her the chance to stay

with him for a week. Soon it became

3 weeks, 4 weeks then it became a whole year.

They bounty hunted

together and he taught her more about the force. He became like a

big brother to her. Vos endded up

leaving her behind on a job, where

he said he would come back for her.

He never did. So she had to fight for

herself. That night she was arrested for crimes against the Empire. She had a small trial and was to be sent to do mining work on Llum. However, her punished was changed to maintenance work.

She worked on a Star Destroyer in the lower levels for about a month until she was saved by a group of

undercover rebels. From there she

was taken to the Massassi Outpost

on Yain 4. Where she was asked for

any information. She gave small things she knew and new codes she

learned form small talks with the

officers.

Ricki felt a connection to of

the man who rescued her.

He later introduced himself as her father.

At first she wanted nothing to do with him as time passed she learned they shared some of the same hobbies. The two tried to make up for lost time.

Ricki started helping the Rebellion,

doing small work for Bail Organa.

She became his spy.

Getting sent to take down threats that might think of joining the Empire.

She took down worthless men or women who were slave owners.

Freeing the slaves. She was given the nickname 'The Kere' (kere is huttese for killer of evil) by the people.

Later, she

worked for Leia Organa for when

she needed something done but

couldn't at her hands dirty or to

find more Intel on the empire. Even

working with the Ghost

Crew at times.

After the fall of the first

Death Star, she reconnected with her mother. The two rebuilt their relationship together and after the war together and after the war she

followed her mother to try and rebuild Mandalore.

[spikybanana]

just vibing, except for the occasional breakdowns. I'm still figuring it out here.

ao3 &c.

a few bits I'm proud of:

the happy ones:

all I see is sky [obikin] [G] (3k) they're force ghosts. also there are trees on coruscant now.

Beloved [wolfstar] [T] (5.5k) follows aromantic sirius from hogwarts to old age, wolfstar lovers to friends

don't let's die as heroes [jegulily] [T] (6.7k) (alt: tumblr post) they fall in love, they hunt horcruxes, and none of them die

the sad ones:

the way we meet again [jegulily] [G] (1k) from the marauders' leaving Hogwarts to their finding out about Regulus' death

Infinite Joy [obikin] [T] (1.6k) canon compliant mustafar flash back sequence

the niche and/or insane ones:

Hunger [wolfstar] [M] (4.3k) omniscience AU, also a tribute and an easter egg packet for @/wolfstarmicrofic

the longest year of my life [gen] (13k) here's why it could have been the Trio, Draco and Remus who went on the horcrux hunt

Once Upon a Green Haze [wolfstar] [T] (WIP) amongst other things: time travel, memory loss, dreams, and trees

What You Will [jegulily + wolfstar] [T] (WIP) how twelfth night should have ended: marauders version. sorry, mr shakespeare

[vodika-vibes]

So let's talk about my Ghost AU, cause I kinda love the idea.

So everything is Canon right up until 6 months after Order 66 occurs.

6 months after the events of the Jedi Purge, an employee at the former Jedi Temple finds something odd. A tear on one of the lower floors. It was small, barely the length of an infants forearm. The employee mentioned it to their supervisor, and then went on with their lives.

The information went further and further up the chain until Vader and Palpatine themselves hear the report as well.

Palpatine decided to study it in spite of Vader's suggestion that maybe they should try to close it.

Three months later, the tear is now the size of the room, and no one can go near it without losing their minds.

Three months after that, the tear explodes outward. It kills everyone in the former Jedi Temple, including Palpatine and Vader, and everyone within 5 km of the temple loses themselves and becomes monsters, or they die to the creatures pouring out of the tear.

The shockwave from the explosion radiated out from Coruscant and across the galaxy, ripping open other tears as it went, and triggering another massive explosion on Mandalore, leaving Madalore and Mandalorian space, as a massive Deadzone.

B1 Battle Droids are repurposed to patrol the 5 km area around the Jedi Temple, as no one living can go there and remain alive. Ships carrying droids and astromechs map the deadzone that used to be Mandalorian space.

And across the galaxy, agencies pop up who all do the same thing. They hunt ghosts and monsters and try to find a fix to the tears.

Also, across the galaxy, pop-up black markets where people who care more about credits than anything else sell items that have spirits attached to them.

One ghost hunter, a solo agent who lives just outside the 5 km deadzone on Coruscant, manages to get her hands on a helmet belonging to a Clone Trooper who died in the Purge. A helmet that was sold on the black market due to the fact that there's a spirit attached to the helmet.

She becomes the only agency with a Ghost who is a full partner. Though she's convinced that he's not actually dead.

[takadasaiko]

A Flicker of Light Chapter Nine (a Star Wars Fic)

Story summary: A canon divergent AU in which Luke Skywalker is raised within the Empire to be either his father's heir as a Sith Lord… or his replacement.

Chapter Summary: Ahsoka looks for answers, Mara digs deeper into her case, and Luke finds their rebels in a way even Vader doesn't foresee.

FFN II AO3

---

There was a constant buzz of activity throughout the lower levels of Coruscant. Flashing, neon lights buzzed and people moved through increasingly cramped pathways the further down one traveled. She knew it was a good place to get lost in the crowd, and as long as they could both reach the destination without attracting attention, it was as safe of a meeting place as they could find on the capital planet.

Ahsoka Tano took a seat at the back of a tapcaf and ordered a drink. The others in the cantina were more interested in their own anonymity than they were in her, which suited her purpose nicely. She waited and waited, eventually pulling on a calming technique she'd learned as a youngling in the Jedi Temple. These meetings rarely went exactly as planned and certainly not on the timetable they preferred. Care was always prioritized over timeliness or it could put them both at risk.

But the crew of the Ghost were sitting on Lothal, possibly exposed and being hunted by a Sith Lord. She'd told them to stay because she knew she needed their help if her suspicion was confirmed, but as minutes ticked by she couldn't help but wonder if she was allowing her emotions to get the better of her.

Just as she'd been on the cusp of deciding he wouldn't make it, a hooded figure entered the tapcaf. He spotted her and made his way through the crowds of patrons to take a seat with her, finally removing his hood. "Sorry I'm late," Bail Organa murmured. "They've tightened security again."

Ahsoka took a sip from her drink. "Thank you for coming."

"What was so delicate that you couldn't risk an encrypted channel?"

Blue eyes darted quickly around the room as she let the Force reach out, verifying as best she could that no one was eavesdropping, before turning to meet brown. "You were with Padme in the end, weren't you?"

He blinked hard, the surprise at the question clear in his expression. It faded slowly into sadness and he gave the smallest nod. "Yes."

"And her child…. he died with her?"

There was a flicker of conflict in Bail as he nodded again. "Yes."

Ahsoka drew a steadying breath and reached out, her fingers touching his arm. "This is important," she stressed. "If I'm right, more important than you could know. I need the truth, Bail. Is Padme's son - Anakin's son - dead?"

"You knew Anakin was the father?" Bail asked, his voice deadly quiet and the Togruta woman snorted.

"He wasn't that subtle."

A soft, sad smile tilted his lips. "Neither of them were." The Senator pushed a breath out through his nose, dark gaze falling on her hand still clutching his arm. "Why are you asking about this, Ahsoka?"

"The crew that leads Phoenix Squadron - the crew of the Ghost - are on Lothal. They came across a teen that would be just about the right age. Look." She reached into the bag she had with her and pulled a tablet out.

Bail took the tablet and the screen lit up with the image that Hera's droid had captured. Some of the colour drained from the Alderaanian man's face as he stared at the image. "He looks just like…"

"Doesn't he? I could have sworn I was staring at a younger Anakin."

A sorrow took over, drawing at every inch of his features. "She named him Luke. Padme named him Luke," he managed, his voice cracking a little at the boy's name. "Obi-Wan took him. He'd planned to deliver him to Anakin's family on Tatooine, but I'd heard that something prevented him from doing so. He raised the boy himself, but I lost contact about ten years ago. Nothing from him and no way to find him without raising suspicions."

"Obi-Wan wasn't there," Ahsoka said quietly. "He was with the Sith that they call Vader. He called him father. I'm afraid the Empire got to him and has been…. What?" She hadn't thought he could find a way to look more surprised than before.

"You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"About Anakin. How he died."

She shook her head. "With the others. I'd heard he was killed in Order 66."

Bail gave a quick glance around to the crowd, reaffirming their privacy. "My understanding was that he died on Mustafar. Obi-Wan certainly thought so, but he….. He was involved in Order 66. He… Obi-Wan said that he'd discovered that Anakin had pledged himself to the Sith Lord."

A chill ran through her. "Anakin wouldn't have. He—"

"Obi-Wan saw it with his own eyes. He…" Bail clenched his jaw, shaking his head a little as if he were shaking terrible memories away. "If Luke is alive and he's with Vader, I fear the worst has happened."

Ahsoka tried to breathe through all of the tangled emotions raging inside of her, each one clambering for a prominent place in her chest. If all of this was true, Anakin was alive and he'd been turned to the Dark Side, just as Maul had predicted a decade and a half before. The Sith Lord had turned him and he'd become the monster that was raining terror down in the galaxy, spreading fear everywhere he went. But why? She had no doubt that Sidious was powerful - persuasive - but she knew Anakin. Her former Master was one of the most stubborn beings she'd ever met. Stubborn, determined, and so very kind. Yes, he had moments that he often pushed the boundaries of the Code, but to become Vader made no sense. To burn the galaxy without reason… no. She was missing something. A key. A reason. The Anakin she had known could be a force to be reckoned with, but it was always to protect the people he loved. Obi-Wan, his troops, her, Padme….

Perhaps even his child.

She pushed a breath out though her nose. "Thank you," she said quietly as she stood.

"Where are you going?"

"To get answers." She pulled her hood up and set some credits on the table to cover her drink.

"You can't save him, Ahsoka. Even if he was Anakin, the man you knew is gone."

"Maybe, but I have to know for sure. I'll be in touch."

She felt his concern follow her out, nipping at her heels and all the way to the lift. She couldn't blame him, but she couldn't just abandon them. Not again. Not with so much on the line.

—

Mara woke in the earliest hours of the morning, a soft knock at the door of the quarters she'd been provided with pulling her out of a light sleep. She glanced at the clock next to the bed. Just past four local time. Great.

The second knock drew a frustrated groan from her and she rolled out of bed, her tired senses catching wisps of a familiar presence. She trudged her way to the door and unlocked it so that it slid open to reveal Luke holding a data cylinder. "I come bearing a gift," he offered.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You sure your dad is in a sharing mood?"

"Didn't ask. Mind if I come in?"

Mara stood there for a long moment, letting him question if his charm would win out or not. She shouldn't let it, but she knew she would. She plucked the cylinder from his fingers and turned to pad her way back into the room. She could practically feel his grin from behind as he followed, the doors sliding shut behind him. "I'm going to guess this isn't your work?" she asked, holding up the peace offering in reference.

"I've been a little tied up, but when I heard you had switched focus on your investigation, I had Lieutenant List pull the full report we have on the Visra brother."

She wondered, by the way he said that, if certain information hadn't been made readily available to her. It wasn't beyond the ISB to play politics, even with her. It was all a power game. "I'm sure he loved being woken up for that."

Luke shrugged, taking an uninvited seat on the edge of her bed. "It's his job."

"How's your impromptu assignment go?"

He snorted as he fell back against the bed. Mara turned to the console and inserted the cylinder. "That good, huh?"

"They've gone to ground. Father thinks they're still on the planet, and maybe they are, but he hasn't been in a sharing mood on what he needs me for."

Mara risked a glance behind her as the intel booted up on the screen. "You know what he wants."

"What's that?"

"You, jumping at his every whim."

Luke sighed heavily from his place on her bed and she heard him shift, but he didn't sit up. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked, the words echoed from earlier that night at Visra's party.

A smile tilted her lips. "As well as you."

"I'm serious. This has to stay between you and me."

She turned, finding him on his side so he could look at her and Mara moved to the bed. She took a seat, slowly lying down so that she was facing him. "On my life."

There was a beat of silence between them before Luke nodded. "He's afraid. Afraid of losing me."

"And he thinks I'm going to steal you away?" she chuckled.

"For him, yes."

"Him?"

"Palpatine."

Mara watched him closely. It wasn't the first time he'd spoken like this, but it had been a long while. "We're on the same side, aren't we?" she asked carefully.

"Yes. Father pledged his loyalty to Palpatine, but there are only two. Someday, that's going to mean something."

She let the words sit between them for a moment before offering a quiet response. "Palpatine won't live forever, you know. Vader is his heir for a reason. You're Vader's heir."

"Is that how everyone sees it?"

"That's the way it is."

He heaved a breath and offered a tired smile. "Peaceful transfer of power isn't exactly the Sith way, but maybe. I hope so."

His eyes slipped closed and Mara continued to watch him. Strange, how she'd always assumed that Palpatine was resigned to Vader's eventual ascension. As if once he was old and frail the Sith Apprentice would do away with him as perhaps he'd done to his own Master, but never a day before. Maybe it was a lie she told herself. Maybe she'd just never let herself linger on the question too long, because if she did she would have to recall the order that had never been rescinded: Vader should not have an absolute ally in his son.

But he did, and Mara knew that. Palpatine likely knew it too, which would eventually lead to the question of what that would mean someday.

Thankfully that someday wasn't that day. Or night. Or morning. Whatever it was.

Mara hadn't realized that her own eyes had fluttered closed against the swirling thoughts, but as she opened them she saw Luke's remained shut. His breathing had evened out and she inched a little closer to him. "Luke?"

"Hmm?" he answered sleepily.

"Promise me something?"

He eased a little closer to her as well so that their foreheads were almost touching. She tilted forward so they were. "No matter what happens, I don't want us to be enemies," she murmured, the confession feeling much louder than it really was in the room.

Luke's arm snaked around her waist, fingers toying at the fabric of her shirt as it settled at the small of her back. "Never," he swore.

—

Getting into Lothal was easier than getting off with a blockade settled around the planet, and Ahsoka proved that three days after she'd told them to sit tight and wait for her. And they had. Through the burning of Tarkintown that had clearly been meant to drive them out of hiding and the two relocations to avoid stormtroopers. By the time Ahsoka finally arrived, even Hera had been ready to call it. It wasn't just them that was taking a risk by staying, but Lando - who had been helping to shield them - and the people of the planet that were being used as bait by the Sith.

With Ahsoka came a few answers, but those bred more questions. She told them a story - or at least the highlights, as Hera couldn't help but feel so many details were being left out - about her Master and a child that they had all believed was dead. The child that she believed was the teen that had attacked them along with Vader.

"Let me get this straight," Kanan managed, looking almost ill as he spoke. "You think that Anakin Skywalker - hero of the Clone Wars and rumoured Chosen One of the old prophecies - had a kid that has been raised as a Sith?"

Ahsoka nodded. "You see why I needed to come here. If that boy is Luke Skywalker…."

"And what?" Sabine demanded. "Do you want to take him with you? We'd need an army to get to him and likely all we'd end up doing is bringing Vader down on us. That's a huge risk for someone that doesn't want to leave the Empire."

Hera sighed. "I know how important this boy must be to you, Ahsoka, but Sabine's right about the risk."

The Togruta woman gave her a soft, sad smile. "Kanan knows the prophecy, but I wouldn't expect the rest of you to. The Chosen One was said to bring balance to the Force. Obviously things didn't… work out that way, but—"

"You think maybe his son can?" Kanan asked. "Kid's definitely powerful, and he's young. I don't want to know what he'd be if he finishes his training under Vader."

Hera turned to look at her lover. "You're usually the skeptic."

"This is huge."

"Yeah, and impossible," Zeb grumbled from the outskirts of the conversation.

"Isn't that what your crew specializes in?" Ahsoka asked. "The impossible?"

Hera sighed. They did have a habit of pulling off jobs no one would be crazy enough to even attempt, but she didn't have time to answer. Kanan answered for them all.

"What do you need from us?"

—-

The intel Luke had brought her had been surprisingly thorough. He may not have gathered it all himself, but he'd focused laser precision on what she would need and had had List obtain it for him. One of the pieces of intel led her to a particular hangout for Doman Visra and she found him surrounded by people that the Empire didn't have on their radar yet. And one of those people turned out to be very useful in making her way into his trusted circle.

Aurous Fyr hadn't been at the meeting in the Visra home a few days prior, but he was close with Doman and after a few drinks had been willing to provide an introduction. Mara had given him the name Salina, a cover that placed her as a displaced farmer-turned-factory-worker. A perfectly crafted cover to endear her to the budding rebels, and it had. None of them had spotted her at the party and while they weren't sharing their deepest secrets with her from the start, they also weren't as tight lipped as they should have been around a newcomer.

Especially Aurous. He was the weak link, at least for Mara. He could go on for hours and hours about his idealistic views, how the Empire got everything wrong but they - in all of their infinite wisdom - could get it right. She wasn't sure if he was sad or irritating or both, but at least he was useful. Sometimes more useful than others.

"Every move is small until its not," he said as Mara sat with him outside of the empty warehouse they were meeting in that evening. "A thorn in their side until real change can be made."

"What does real change look like?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, the corners of his mouth tipping up before he turned back towards the stars. "Like making a splash they can't ignore."

Mara forced a laugh. "You just said the same thing with different words."

Aurous chuckled at that and glanced back to the others who were out of range to hear his lowered voice. He leaned in closer. "There are sects, you know, all over the galaxy. Some people are boots on the ground, some are the pockets that fund them."

"I've seen how you look at the tab at the tapcaf," she laughed at him. "You're not funding much of anything."

"I'm not, no, but others are." He glanced back towards Doman Visra.

"Like what?"

"All kinds of things all over the galaxy."

Unlikely. Doman might be inflating his own importance to his followers, but the intel she had showed his finding was mostly local. Granted, local could cause a sizable problem on a planet like Lothal.

"But here, now…. Retribution."

"For what?"

"What do you mean, for what? Didn't you hear? Vader burned Tarkintown to the ground."

"Sure, but it's Vader," Mara answered, a strange knot starting to form in the pit of her stomach. "Going up against him is a quick way to end up dead."

"Directly, maybe, but Seyda knew a guy who knows a woman and she's the real deal. She can hit Vader where it hurts: his son."

Mara schooled her expression carefully. "You really think she'll pull it off?"

"We'll know soon, I guess."

"It's happening now?"

For the first time, Aurous shot her a curious look and Mara knew she'd pushed too hard on one subject. She looked out at the sky and let a frown tug her lips down. "What time is it?"

"Twenty-one-hundred, give or take."

"I should get going. Morning comes early." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, using his distraction to snag a small bug to the fabric of his shirt. "See you tomorrow after work."

He mumbled a reply as she slipped off of the stack of crates they'd been sitting on and started back towards town. The moment she was out of their range, she quickened her pace. She needed to find Luke.

—

Six days. It had been six days since the rebels had escaped from the shipyard and six days since they'd gone to ground. Luke knew he wasn't the only one questioning at this point if, perhaps, they'd managed to sneak past the blockade, but Father was convinced they were still there. Convinced that they could be found and that Luke's attention needed to be focused entirely on the situation at hand. So while Mara had the more exciting task of worming her way into Doman Visra's inner circle to figure out who he was helping to fund with the rebellion, Luke was stuck with orders to meditate and seek out their prey. He was talented, but no one was good at everything, and the patience that it took to intentionally reach into the future had never been his strong suite.

One blue eye cracked open at a noise from outside in the hallway. He closed it, pulling a deep breath in through his nose and then back out, reaching through the Force. He saw… a bird. Small, a little bit round. A Morai. He'd read about them as a child, but had never seen one. Luke reached deeper, following the bird, and saw a figure standing in the distance. The person was cloaked, possibly alien, but as he tried to get a better look, a set of voices from the hallway outside dragged him out of the vision, the figure gone before he could discover anything else.

Luke gave a frustrated grunt as he unfolded himself from the floor. This was pointless. The base was too loud. Too distracting at all the wrong moments. He either needed utter silence or a steady stream of noise to work as a backdrop. He wasn't going to get either there.

He made his way out of the compound, none of the officers or stormtroopers daring to stop him. The cool night air caught the hem of his dark cloak he'd wrapped around his shoulders and he pulled the hood up to shadow his face as he made his way into the city. It was late, most of the vendors having turned in for the night and only a handful of people milling around the streets. The quiet wrapped around him, easing his mind and his frustrations.

After a while, he found himself moving aimlessly, thoughts resettling on the Morai and the being in the distance. Slender, dressed in a hooded, brown cloak, the person hadn't looked like any of their rebels. Possibly the pilot - Syndulla, he recalled from the file - but that didn't feel right. It was someone else. Someone that the Force had been trying to show him. Someone —

A sense of warning washed over him and he spun, finding the street mostly empty save a stormtrooper escorting a cadet. He blinked hard, hand on the hilt of his lightsaber, and let his gaze sweep the area. There was something here. There had to be.

The stormtroopers passed on the opposite side of the street and Luke continued to look, finding nothing. He turned, ready to reluctantly call it a fluke, and found the troopers had crossed to his side, the older one raising a blaster that wasn't regulation and aiming right at him.

The stormtrooper fired and with a speed that had been built through years of training, Luke's lightsaber leapt to life in his hand in time to deflect what turned out to be an attempt to stun him.

Another blast came from off to his left from the cadet, and Luke didn't have time to fully bat that one away. Part of the blast struck his shoulder and a numbness spread. The cadet seemed to realize he was in trouble the moment Luke didn't go down at the sneak attack and Luke jumped forward, still blocking the occasional blast that came near him from the older man as he chased down the now fleeing cadet.

Frustration built as he chased him through an alley and rounded a corner. Enough frustration that he didn't sense the trap. He realized the mistake too late as he slammed into a giant Lasat who grinned toothily at him. "Sorry 'bout this, kid," he offered as he took Luke by the cloak.

The teen didn't have a chance to react as a stun ray hit him. He felt the numbness spread and desperately tried to push back against it. Another hit him, and with the third, he was dragged into darkness.

---

TBC

Notes: Bail Organa is one of my very favourite of the "minor" characters in Star Wars. I put quotes around minor because of just how much of an impact the man has on everything that happens in the rebellion. I knew from the beginning that he'd have a place in this story, but I didn't really plan for him to pop up this early. I sat down to start this chapter and bam, there he is lol. I really didn't feel like it would have done the weight of the topic justice if the conversation was simply discussed rather than shown. That, and Ahsoka and Bail can be a bit more honest than she can be even with the Ghost crew when it comes to Anakin. Anyone notice what Bail did hold back on though? ;)  

Next Time: Luke comes face-to-face with his father's former Padawan while Mara Jade and Darth Vader are forced to put aside their differences to try to find him.