#he's cynical as hell and he doesn't actually /like/ politics any more than his canon counterpart

[cxtangerina]

k2 is such a funny ship to me, like it's just plausible enough to be kinda sorta realistic if you squint and pray and look at it sideways, not quite a crackship but not able to get off the ground as more than a particularly popular rarepair either. they had, like, one big episode together back in season 3, a handful of major moments over the years that people hold onto with an iron grip, and basically nothing else outside of a plethora of fantastic fancontent and dreams.

i think i like it for the exact opposite reasons that i like kyman, actually, they sorta stand as complementary ships in my mind. where k2 barely has any actual basis in canon & comes heavily from fanworks and speculation about how well the characters would match each other, kyman is practically canonical, at least when it comes to cartman's feelings, and is at least regularly joked about and referenced in-show. personally, i also tend to see k2 as a ship that is kinda miraculously requited, whereas kyman is usually stuck in unrequited hell, which...

...well, this gets into more specific character analysis, but a big part of this is that i tend to see cartman as having very fucked up views of both romance & sexuality that have especially interesting implications when you consider him to have a crush on kyle, specifically.

on the one hand, i think his cupid self is evidence enough that he has a very fairytale, idealized view of romance, based more out of the hollywood movie image of what love is supposed to be rather than anything in reality. south park adults being utter fucking idiots 99% of the time means that most, if not all, of the kids don't have a lot of good role models to base their actions off of. i'm not gonna talk out of my ass about childhood development more than i understand it, but i don't think it's too controversial (?) of a take to claim that kids understand & learn about the world through watching it just as much as interacting with it, particularly when it comes to their own parents.

cartman is a piece of shit, and while a lot of that comes from him and his own bigotry, he's still ultimately a kid in show and you can trace where some of his worst traits originate from in the people around him, even if he makes the personal decision to push it as much as humanly possible. i think the trend in recent seasons for many adults to try and at least appear more pc only makes this more obvious, actually (coughcoughrandy), though talking about that is maybe biting off a little more south park politics than i'm willing to chew for this particular post.

point is, cartman as a character in particular does not have a lot, if anything, to base his idea of what a healthy, happy romantic relationship looks like, which isn't only because liane is single though that may be a major contributing factor. love isn't work to cartman, it isn't about the maintenance of a relationship or communication or all the more realistic and slightly less pleasant parts of loving someone that hollywood doesn't find dramatic or interesting enough to show. rather it's a fantasy, something that happens to people that they have no real control over. i wouldn't be surprised if he believes in soulmates or love at first sight, even if the likelihood of him admitting that out loud isn't especially high.

on the other hand, i think his view of sexuality is greatly influenced by not just liane's sex work, but the way she is slut-shamed and treated like garbage by the rest of the town for it. i tend to view cartman as having a very transactional, cynical view of sex and sexuality, where sex is only used for personal gain (whether that be money or power, likely at the expense of someone else/the submissive party), and sexuality is an inherent character flaw, a weakness that must be overcome unless you are able to twist it and use it for your own (material?) benefit- see the streaming wars & cartman wanting his mom to seduce a rich man for money as a recent example of this.

it's a running gag in TFBW that cartman uses douchebag catching their dad fucking their mom as a tragic backstory, and doesn't seem to understand how reproduction actually works even when kyle basically says it straight to his fucking face. even as a joke, there's still a lot of underlying truth behind why he would believe this. cartman is aware of his mom's sex work, even if he may not want to fully admit/believe it, largely because of situations where he's specifically getting shit for it. he knows he has a father, and that he is (in)directly responsible for said father's horrible death & consumption, but he only really cares about that insofar as it means he's half ginger. sex has only ever been presented through its most vicious power dynamics to him- why would he see it as a good thing, as something that could ever be loving, especially when contrasted against such an idealized, purified view of romance?

(you could also extrapolate from this how cartman associates sexuality & romance with femininity & his brand of sexism to get some particularly delectable transfem cartman ideas, but i digress.)

ANYWAYS. this is all to say that cartman having a crush on kyle (or anyone, really, but kyle is obviously the most emotionally volatile example) instantly pits those two conflicting views against one another, like he wants something that he doesn't even think could ever exist: a happy, healthy romantic relationship, where sex is just a normal thing that they can choose to do or not. this is where a lot of kyman angst comes from for me, with cartman either trying to stuff that round desire back into the square hole of how he views the world, or having his ideals fall ever further apart when the feelings are unrequited. and, on top of that, none of this being actually said out loud because communication is impossible.

this is why i always see kyman as making each other worse, especially if they actually manage to make it into a romantic relationship. i simply Do Not see kyle being a patient enough person to help cartman work through the intricacies of all of his expectations and idealized fantasies and internalized fears surrounding such mutually screwed views of romance & sexuality- on the rare occasions that kyle does show some interest in romantic relationships it's usually pretty centered around himself, and to be frank i only see his interest in romance going down as he gets older.

i've heard some people talk about kyle before like he's the "moral compass" of south park or whatever and while that may be true by the end of the episode, one of the things i like most about him is the fact that he struggles so much to get to the best conclusions. this is kind of getting back into the k2 side of this analysis, but where kenny manages a much more effortless selflessness, even pushing it to the point of being both a strength and a flaw when kenny stops caring about himself for the sake of others, kyle is a lot more self-centered than he cares to admit and it influences a lot of his attempts at being a good person.

this is both my favorite aspect of kyle, that he really has to put in the work to be the good person that he wants to be, and also the primary bad trait that i think cartman brings out of kyle. by being such a notoriously horrible shithead, he gives kyle the perfect target to unleash his annoyance on, getting him so caught up in arguing and proving himself to be the better person that kyle forgets to actually listen to the people that he's supposed to be standing up for. cartman is a fantastic troll and, at least in show, kyle definitely has not learned to stop feeding him argument fodder yet.

sidenote: about kyman entering a romantic relationship... wasn't sure where to add this, but it's for this exact reason that i also see kyman (or this version of kyman where cartman gets worse with age, rather than better) only actually happening in the universes where kyle has lost all other meaningful connections, to the point that feeding a troll to get off on an argument is the best possible option, even if he's old enough to know better. especially if he's old enough to know better.

again, k2 is the opposite of this for me in that i see kyle & kenny as having a lot of potential to bring out the best in each other.

if kyle's worst trait is that he gets too caught up in his own feelings & desires to truly be the good, selfless, thoughtful person that he wants to be to actually do genuine good for the sake of others, kenny's problem is that he skews too far in the opposite direction. i kinda already said this, but to state it outright: kenny's biggest strength and his biggest flaw are the exact same, that he is selfless to a fault, to the point of consistently putting other people's safety and happiness above his own when he thinks it would be of help the majority/the people he loves. this was the key kenny trait that was established by the end of BL&U, and it has only gotten more prominent in the years since with his mysterion persona.

it is in this way that kenny both stands as someone that kyle can look up to & admire for how effortlessly he dedicates himself to the people he cares about the most, but also, simultaneously, as someone that kyle can take care of himself and offer the same help back to. and i don't even think kenny needs to say very much out loud to push kyle towards a lot of these conclusions, he kinda just has to exist and be noticed and kyle has the intelligence to figure it out himself, to recognize the shit that kenny puts himself through and his (usually) quite noble reasons for doing so, and want to offer him the same love and care and dedication that kenny never allows himself to have.

really, the difficult part of this is being noticed at all in the first place. again, i said earlier that k2 is kinda "miraculously requited," in my mind, specifically because the aspect that's missing in the show and almost always must be provided by fan content for k2 is that spark/push forward that gets them close enough to start talking and for kyle to notice kenny in the first place. it's just lucky that's one of my favorite things to figure out and write for those two, hehehe.

[hysteriapilled]

- 𝙰 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝙽 𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙽 𝙹𝙰𝙴𝙶𝙴𝚁'𝚂 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝙲𝙰𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙸 𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙴𝙻𝚂𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝙳𝙾

Keep in mind that this might be inaccurate considering the information given is not canon, but from google. There will be no house readings since I can't even get a hold of his actual birth time so there is no rising sign (This is Eren's chart and how he would be if he were real, so don't take everything as factual)

𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅𝐅

Big 5 Analysis

- SUN IN ARIES. Your sun defines your ego, core identity, your authentic self and in my personal opinion it's not really an important placement in the chart, and more of a title basically. People born into Aries are usually perceived as loud, impulsive, raging and aggressive by others— but they're very caring and protective to the ones they love, though sometimes they sure can have bursts of anger. Eren is stubborn, he can't be chained down and refuses to sit back and watch the people he cares about get tossed around. He is a firm person, quick on his feet and rather very rushing, he's like a puppy excited to get his owner running laps around him, he's hyper and motivating; a natural leader. - MOON IN PISCES. Your moon is your emotional side, how you feel, how you perceive feelings and how you process them. Eren with moon in Pisces is definitely not surprising to me— He is dreamy, intuitive, compassionate and he's either too dependable on others or just an overthinker. Though he may not seem like it Eren is very vulnerable and even prone to getting addicted to substances (alcohol, drugs, bad habits etc.) It's not the best placement in my standpoint, as he can get very affected by his surroundings and others. He can't turn a blind eye and NOT take shit to heart and rather stores it inside and holds onto it. He's very empathetic, he feels people's emotions and feels them well, to the point that he himself experiences what they are going through. - MERCURY IN PISCES. Eren has a LOT of Pisces placements so prepare to see a ton of empathy and psychic abilities in his aspects. Your Mercury is how you think, speak and learn. I sense that Eren has really great vulnerability which might not be a good thing, he trusts people too much and rather relies on them for heaps of things, he can be easily manipulated which is why he should refrain from letting everyone in. On the other hand, he is a very dreamy person and gets lost in his imagination at times. He sees the world in another, imaginative lens, and often could find himself daydreaming randomly. I can see that Eren has a hard time letting go of the past and he can even be linked to people in his life he hadn't seen in years. In terms of rational thinking he isn't the best, as he can't distinguish the logical from the emotional which is definitely something he should work on, he gets often blinded by the illusion of his overwhelming emotions toward others. He can also definitely have an eye to art since his imagination is extravagantly wide.

- VENUS IN TAURUS. Your mercury is your idea of love and how you give it and prefer to receive it— Eren's idea of romance is full of sensuality and gifts, he'll spoil you with his utter loyalty and generally with things too. Devotion is daily, he's extremely honest and would rather die than lie to you. Emphasis on sensuality, Eren craves touch and I could sense that his love language is physical touch, he will shower you with affection and fulfill your needs any time of the day. Taurus in Venus are all about comfort and coziness with their lover, so I can see that Eren loves cuddling, massages, food, sleepovers, intimate little things like that strike a chord in his heart. He can be possessive and jealous of times, he hates change specifically big ones in relationships—He can also take a long time to get to know you and prefers taking things slow and steady rather than rushing into it. I can also feel that he loves hard-workers, people who are dedicated and responsible (that's definitely his type). - MARS IN CAPRICORN. Two words. Goal driven. Your Mars is your approach towards anger and impulses as well as your sexuality aspects. Eren is self-controlled and refuses to take orders from others, he can't be chained down not because he's stubborn, but simply because he can't allow himself to stop. He has a tendency to shut out the world to pursue his objective— he moves forward (not a pun) and is willing to fight against everything and everyone to reach his goal, he isn't petty as he considers little quarrels a waste of time and energy. He likes to focus on the big problem at hand, not how to fight and win the battle but how to prepare for conquering the war once and for all. Eren with this placement knows that he is entitled to earn what he works hard for and will not let anything stop him. Mars signs can also affect appearance so I sense that Eren has very prominent and broad cheekbones, a serious face, and a very stiff, steady voice like he's about to command something. It can also be an intimate, velvety and cold voice and on the topic of intimacy— He usually prefers seeing you face to face and rather dislikes social media flings. He comes with a natural inclination to assume a dominant role in bed and he does what doesn't bother him (kink-wise) His temper is so icy, and he could definitely be on the sadomasochism spectrum. He's very soft in nature so if something was bothering you he'd instantly be turned off. Eren can be aggressive and intense but he may not specifically get off on pain (or he may) more like he finds the idea of being in control a very satisfying idea.

𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅𝐅

2. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto Analysis

- JUPITER IN AQUARIUS. Your Jupiter is where you can receive the most luck and love, without you really doing much. It’s where you can catapult to happiness and success through quickest routes possible, within reason. I can tell from previous placements that Eren is a firm believer in standing for what you think is right. He is very opinionated and sometimes a bit too much— Some of his beliefs or theories can be brilliant and genius and others quite nonsensical and implausible, he rushes into throwing the first opinion just for the sake of throwing it first. Any analytical work about objective themes would come easily to him. Passion and enthusiasm will come astonishingly fast too as he can actually stun society with his innate knowledge with complicated subjects. Any scientific, technological, or perhaps just general abstract topics will benefit Eren greatly in subtle and/or unsubtle ways. He takes leaps of faith and believes what his eyes cannot see or what his mind cannot grasp. Simply what makes everything work out so well for him is the open minded love he puts into his theories. Sometimes though, he fears judgement people give to his methods as they are sometimes out of the box and peculiar. Eren would have to let go of his attachment to what other people think about his ways on solving or analyzing. - SATURN IN LIBRA. Your Saturn sign is your life’s obstacles and challenges, the rewards that come with time, and the discipline you need to achieve your goals. To start off with friendships, Eren cares about others and is tireless in serving others—he's also prone to putting others before him (others as in the people he cares about) And supporting his moon and mercury Pisces, he is very artistic and helps civilize those who need the lessons. The companionship he seeks can often give him solace and security, with his comrades support he feels a lot more powerful and in self-control. In relationships though Eren may tend to have a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to relationships and is afraid of rejection & may try to shut himself away or run if the going gets tough. He is very drawn to mentor types, and may often be with someone older and wiser. Despite that he still finds a way to assume the dominant role in the relationship due to his cold nature. Eren commits to artful projects, making it possible to live his dreams by seeing them to completion, he finds it very gratifying and has mental discipline when he finds activities that matches his high ideals. His sense of social justice is heightened, that could get him into law, politics and activism—His firm belief in himself also plays a big role in this, his bravery allows himself to sacrifice whatever he has to, to get the job done. Chaos, crassness, and ugliness can cause him a lot of anxiety and fear, and with his persistence to right the wrong he gets really frustrated when people don't have an outlook to life the same as his. I sense that it may be hard for Eren to accept that only he is able to control himself, and it's a hard pill for him to swallow.

- URANUS IN PISCES. As I mentioned before Eren's chart is dominated with Pisces placements, his intuition works at another wavelength than that of the common people, and for this reason, he is in a much deeper connection to the spirit world. He can sense the occult and this acts as a form of guidance for him, an anchor to support his meanderings through life’s challenges. Pair that up with his splendid imagination and innovative spirit, and you get someone who’s afraid of failure even when he’s not doing anything out of the ordinary, the worst thing that could happen to Eren is failing and losing his sense of validation. He’s a negativist ( I can see Eren as a cynical person later on in life, a realist would fit his philosophical belief) but, he should let his intuition and connection to the spirit world heal this part of his, instead of allowing everything to work against him. He won’t let himself be fooled by naïve ideals, even though he likes believing in them. He can be quite realistic and logical when the situation calls for it and that's quite ironic considering he's indulged in his imagination most of the time. - NEPTUNE IN SAGITTARIUS. This is one hell of a placement. Experimentation with different beliefs, spiritual strands, and esoteric-based teachings are all things Eren finds interest in. He cannot deny the divine existence truly and indefinitely to himself- even if he does so to others, there is always the gnawing sense that ‘there is something more,’ and one day he may regret not finding out what that is. His gift is bringing the joy of shared faith and spirituality together, making the sect he resonates with part of his life’s philosophy. We can tell by now that Eren's purpose is seeking truth, absorbing information and looking at the world in a different lens. - PLUTO IN PISCES. Shawty Bae here can also can be more passive aggressive when trying to get what he wants. This means he can be manipulative at times. This is the only time he ever makes a power play. When he is struggling to achieve something for the greater good. (THIS ACTUALLY RESONATES WITH HIS PLAN) But this desire for control is never executed maliciously. He wants things to go his way so he doesn't disappoint those who are counting on him. Eren can be very sensitive, and it’s important to him that he doesn't let anyone down. He so desperately want to help people that he sometimes sacrifices his health and well being, and even somtimes the well being of others just for the outcome to turn out best.

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐘

3. Chiron (Scar)

- CHIRON IN PISCES. Your Chiron sign in astrology shows where you sustained your deepest wound, your scar— It can never be completely healed, but they can be worked with and transmuted. Eren with Chiron in Pisces, we've already talked about many Pisces qualities in him (empathy, psychic abilities, imagination etc.) But the Chiron has a lot more depth into it, Eren might have a deep fear of being hurt by the universe or the forces at play. He might feel that the world is unfair or merciless and doesn't have his back almost every time. He has a sense of betrayal, and that leads him into cynicism (mentioned before in his Uranus placement) He felt that nobody was there for him when he needed it the most and he also feels a sense of victimization. This placement has a lot to do with the idea of FATE. Even subconsciously Eren feels he was dealt an unfair life, I can also feel that his way of coping is feeling someones grief right alongside them. Sympathyzing is definitely his way of forgetting about his own problems. Even though Eren doesn't exactly victimize himself he still can't understand why the universe is set up this way— he feels that the world isn't fair to him and his loved ones. Although all this scarring shows when he indulges himself in an immense shell of cynicism, then he hops between two places; Not feeling empathy for others since nobody offered empathy to him - or sympathyzing greatly and putting others' needs before his. It is easy for him to shut his feelings out but only with the help of substances which makes him more prone to getting addicted. This placement was created at some point in the past when Eren needed something badly and didn’t get it (sometimes the wound stems from a past life, but this stemmed from his childhood) Maybe it's because he felt insignificant to someone he felt was an idol to him, maybe this figure or idol was never there to nurture him and the probability of him having a lost close one in early childhood days is a very probable cause in how this Chiron stemmed.

BONUS:

- I get massive ISFP vibes from early Eren and INTJ from late him.

- His Venus Taurus makes him very romantic, so I feel like this would be his favorite song to dance to

[fialleril]

Any chance we can get some Anabasis or DAV in celebration of Triduum/Holy Week?

Late reply is super late, but better than never I hope.

I’m working on the next DAV fic which would actually be a perfect fit for the Passover / Easter season, with its focus on themes of liberation, but it is, alas, not finished yet.

So in lieu of that (and by way of apology for being gone so long), here’s a snippet of Anabasis.

This one is pretty spoilery, tbh. But Holy Week for me is all about liberation and new life, and this part of the story is definitely that. So when I finally publish the whole of Anabasis, you all can pretend to be surprised...

[In which Anakin finds Palpatine’s collection of Sith holocrons...]

*

The place was dim and musty, and it clanged with the distantechoes of crumbling old machinery. Padmé’s hand drifted uneasily and came torest on the blaster at her hip. Just in case.

The door Dinsa had stopped before was the seventeenth in aline of identical doors, each unmarked and wholly unremarkable, the sort thatmight be found in any number of abandoned factories or warehouses in the Works.

But Padmé didn’t fail to notice the way Dinsa stood wellback from the door, or the way she and Sabé watched Anakin closely, alert andready for any sudden directive. Anakin himself was focused intently, seeminglyunaware of anyone else around him. Padmé shifted from foot to foot, watchinghim stand perfectly still, watching the light of memory burn in his eyes.

“Anakin?” she whispered, hesitating only a moment beforeplacing a hand on his shoulder. Warmth bled through his clothing and into herskin.

He blinked slowly, just once, then turned from the door toface her. His mouth curled, far too vicious to be called a smile.

“This is the place,” he said. “I can feel it.”

There was a keypad just beside the door, but Anakin didn’tbother with that. His eyes closed briefly in concentration, and then the doorexploded.

The durasteel crumpled inward, fire sparking from thecontrol panel and lending a sharpness to the ancient smell of the room beyond.Padmé blinked. Shafts of faint light streamed through the shattered remains ofthe door and caught on the thick motes of dust dancing in the air.

It wasn’t an especially large room. What space there was satmostly empty – there was only one hefty durasteel storage container in the farcorner of the room. A fine layer of dust covered the floor, undisturbed by anyfootprints. Spiders spun in their corners, weaving vast networks ofunchallenged webs. The air smelled like a tomb.

Dormé stepped closer to Padmé, taking up position slightlyin front of her, a small blaster ready in her right hand. Sabé and Jothra wereeyeing the room intently, cataloging the space from corner to corner and backagain. But Dinsa seemed wholly focused on Anakin.

He drew a deep, ragged breath and his face set in a still,inscrutable mask.

There were a series of seals and locks on the storagecontainer, some obviously requiring codes and others far less clear. Padméwatched as Anakin examined them, his fingers hesitating over a keypad. Shewatched them ghost across a series of numbers, draw back, and then return againin a different pattern, never truly touching the keys.

“Stand back,” he said at last, drawing his hand away. Hiseyes didn’t leave the cabinet.

Padmé stepped well away, Dormé following in her wake butstill keeping between Padmé and the mysterious container. Sabé and Jothra stoodto either side. Dinsa moved barely a pace, and her gaze remained fixed onAnakin, who didn’t move at all.

The heavy durasteel door of the storage container crumbledloudly and fell away, its echoes trembling through the room. A sudden arc ofwicked fire leapt out from the casing, searing blue, but Anakin only raised hisright hand. The fire seemed to gather there, gleaming and pulsing against hisskin, until he turned his palm down and it jumped from his hand to grounditself in the warehouse floor. There was an awful smell of burnt dust. A thick layerof black soot scorched the floor beneath drifting tendrils of smoke.

“There are…precautions in place,” Anakin murmured, flexinghis fingers. Steam curled around his hand, but the flesh appeared unhurt. “Tokeep the holocrons out of Jedi hands.” His mouth twisted. “Only someone trainedin the ways of the Sith can access them.”

Padmé cast a nervous glance between Anakin and the storagecontainer, which remained shut fast. She hadn’t really thought he intended totell the Jedi about this place, of course, but…

“What are you going to do?” she whispered.

Anakin turned and smiled at her. It was a soft expression,almost tender and shockingly open. Ridiculously, Padmé found herself smilingback without even knowing why.

“I told you,” Anakin murmured, his smile quirking at thecorners. Without any further explanation, he turned back to the storagecontainer and pulled the door open.

It moved easily, soundlessly. Nothing else happened. Padmédidn’t know what she’d been expecting, but this felt somehow anti-climactic.

Inside the container were row on row of holocrons. Mostlooked exactly the same, small pyramidal constructs of dark metal, shot throughwith dull lines of red. Three holocrons, prominently displayed at the center ofthe top shelf, were noticeably older than the rest.

Anakin was evidently looking for something. His eyes wereclosed, but his face turned from side to side as though he were examining eachrow, scanning carefully over the contents.

A moment later his eyes snapped open and he selected aholocron from the exact center of the unit. Padmé thought he was laughing verysoftly.

“He did make one,” Anakin whispered.

He drew his hands back, but the holocron remained, floatingeasily in the air. The red lines began to glow, and then to separate, and thenan image of Palpatine appeared, shrouded in black, only just larger thanPadmé’s hand.

She drew in a sharp breath and stepped back as a voice she’dheard recently only in her nightmares began to speak.

Anakin’s grin was sharp and violent. He slashed the air withhis hand, and something in the holocron sparked and snapped. Palpatine’sterrible voice died. Smoke curled from the bottom of the device.

“You don’t get to speak,” Anakin hissed. “Not ever again.But you’re going to watch.”

It must have been an illusion, Padmé thought. Holocrons wereteaching tools, but they were only minimally interactive and they certainlydidn’t possess any measure of sentience. So she must have imagined the suddenrage that twisted Palpatine’s face.

The Emperor’s lips were still moving, but whatever he had tosay would never be heard now.

“Of course a Sith holocron can’t be destroyed by justanyone,” Anakin said, evidently directing his words at Palpatine’s image. “Noteven by a Jedi. Security precautions. Access only to those who are worthy.That’s what you always said.”

Anakin selected the midmost holocron from the top shelf. Heheld it easily in his right hand as he addressed the hologram.

“But you made me a Sith, Master,” he said. “Not worthy ofthis knowledge, oh no. Of course not. But well trained. Enough to do this.” Hechuckled suddenly, his hand tightening around the ancient holocron. “This isDarth Bane, isn’t it? The last and first. The founder. You always said he wasthe greatest of all the Sith, apart from you, of course.”

Anakin smiled.

A sudden sharp premonition made Padmé step back again. Dinsafollowed, moving back several paces to stand beside Sabé, her eyes dartingquickly between Anakin and the floating image of Palpatine.

“This is your legacy, Master,”Anakin said, and lightning sparked from his fingers, blue and bright andcrackling with ozone.

The holocron melted into slag and dripped to the floor.

Something howled.

It was a scream without a voice, filling the breathless airof the room and echoing back through her mind, burning like a star going nova.The darkness swallowed it.

I will destroy himcompletely, Padmé remembered Anakin saying, and how they’d both hoped thatPalpatine was watching from whatever reality waited after death.

She looked again at Anakin. He stood in profile, his face aferocious mask of shadow and reflected blue fire, another holocron alreadymelting from his fingers. At his feet was a steadily growing pile of slag. Hiseyes shone as blue as the flame.

*

The Force was screaming.

Barriss felt it where she waited, pacing her quarters untilAhsoka returned from her meeting with the Council. The feeling tore into her,leaving her blinking and off balance, suddenly unsure of the reality around her.Something was shifting, but she didn’t know what, and she wasn’t certain if itwould prove to be for good or ill. She only knew that it felt like a beginning.

The members of the Council felt it where they sat injudgment. Master Windu’s arm shook with it, and Ahsoka’s lightsaber fell to thefloor. Master Yoda grimaced and clutched his head in pain. Masters Dooku and Nuflinched as well, but their eyes found one another and something unspoken andsignificant passed there, unseen by the rest. Master Gallia’s eyes slippedclosed, and Master Kenobi’s hands clenched the arms of his chair so tightlythat his knuckles shone translucent.

Ahsoka herself staggered in the center of the CouncilChamber, gasping for breath, half elated and half terrified and not knowingwhy.

The younglings felt it, gathered together in the mess hallunder the supervision of two of the older padawans. They felt the shift butcouldn’t name it, and they clung to one another, wishing that Lahksa andBarriss were there to promise everything would be okay.

The howling in the Force went on and on, until suddensilence fell.

And then there was Light.

*

The Jedi Council was waiting in Padmé’s receiving room.

None of the security systems had been triggered, and they’dhad no warning from 500 Republica’s security team, either. It was all tooobvious that Padmé and her handmaidens weren’t expecting to find guests in herapartment.

Maybe Anakin should have said something, after all.

The Jedi rose as they entered, and Padmé started visibly,her hand reaching automatically for the blaster at her hip and half-drawing itbefore she stopped herself. Dormé and Sabé had moved to shield her, theirblasters already leveled at the intruders. Even after the moment of initialsurprise had passed, they didn’t back down. Dormé, in particular, looked furiousand was making no effort to hide it.

That was…a relief, Anakin thought. It was good to know thather loyalty to Padmé was so absolute, that she wouldn’t cower to the Jedi anymore than she would to him.

Anakin himself eyed the Jedi with undisguised amusement. Hedidn’t bother to pretend surprise. He didn’t bother with innocence, either. Theacrid scent of melted metal and plastic still clung to him, and he didn’t doubtthe Jedi had noticed. But he’d let them wonder, just a bit longer.

“Welcome back, Vader,” Windu snapped, his voice bone dry.The other members of the Council spread themselves around the room, circlingAnakin loosely, their hands hovering easily near their lightsabers. They’dapparently decided to ignore the presence of Padmé and her entourage entirely.Anakin bit back a laugh. The last Master who’d done that had required a genetictest to identify his body afterwards.

He wouldn’t make that mistake. His eyes darted quicklyaround the room, blocking people and things in a mental map. The Jedisurrounded him, which meant they surrounded Padmé and her handmaidens, as well.Dinsa and Jothra had fallen back slightly, their eyes fixed on him, waiting fora signal.

Anakin only smiled. He’d expected this. Counted on it, even.

There were few things Jedi disliked more than the game ofpolitical nicety. Anakin had always thought this a strange quirk for afundamentally political organization. And it had served his Master well in thelast days of the old Republic. He wondered if the Jedi had fully realized thatyet.

So he arranged his expression in a mask of genteelpoliteness. He knew it was effective, because Padmé had told him once that itlooked entirely unnatural on his face. His Master had been quite capable ofportraying a genuine smile when it suited him, but Anakin had always found thatthe vague discomfort the wrongness of his society smile raised in others servedhim much better than a believable lie ever could.

“Hello, Master Jedi,” he said easily. “What can I help you withtoday?”

The members of the Jedi Council looked at one anotheruneasily. Anakin did not allow himself to grin.

“A great disturbance we sensed in the Force,” said Yodaseverely. “Many voices, crying out in rage and hate. A strong surge of the DarkSide, it was.”

“I see,” said Anakin, nodding politely. He could feel Padmélooking at him, but for now she kept her questions to herself, hidden behindher own neutral politician’s face.

Windu, apparently, had already run out of patience for thegame. “What did you do, Vader?” he growled.

Anakin laughed.

He hadn’t meant to. But he found now that he couldn’t holdit back. His Master’s holocron weighed heavy in his hand, the last remainingrelic of a dead world, and the Jedi still didn’t understand.

He looked at them each in turn, until his eyes landed onJocasta Nu. She was watching him with open curiosity. It was such an unusualexpression on a Jedi that Anakin found himself unable to look away. Instead, headdressed his confession to her.

“I destroyed the Sith,” he said. And with the words herealized it was true. He was free. His vengeance was complete.

Almost.

There was a ripple of shock and frank disbelief in theForce, maybe even a hint of anger from several of the Jedi. He might have proddedat them with that knowledge under other circumstances. But not now.

Now, Anakin raised his fist and released the last Sithholocron. It floated in the air, lines of red light flaring, and opened on thehologram of his Master, his mouth still forming words that would never beheard.

“I wanted him to watch,” Anakin said, smiling at Nu’swidened eyes. “The others are all gone. Destroyed. Thousands of years of Sithknowledge and teaching, up in smoke. He is the last.”

He could sense Windu and Kenobi tensing, ready for anyopening he would give them. Dinsa and Jothra had moved closer to him again,which wasn’t entirely unexpected, but so had Padmé, and that was…

The warm weight of that knowledge was a distraction hecouldn’t afford to think about now.

Anything you hesitateto destroy is a chain, he could hear his Master saying. It was one of theoldest lessons.

Anakin looked down at the holocron and the silent, powerlessimage of his Master. But I am Unfettered,he thought, and laughed again.

Lightning sparked from his fingers, dancing over theholocron. For one breathless moment, his Master’s face seemed caught, elongatedin a terrible snarl. And then it melted away into the drip of molten metal andthe seared ozone smell of burning circuitry. The holocron dissolved. Now thereremained only a black, stinking pile of sludge on Padmé’s floor.

There was silence. Anakin flexed his fingers. The blue firealways left behind a strange, mildly unpleasant tingle.

“Well,” said Jothra brightly, “that’s going to be fun toclean up.” He prodded the sludge with the toe of his boot.

The absurdity of that statement was apparently enough torouse the Jedi from their shock.

“So,” said Windu. “You don’t know the location of the Sithlibrary.”

Anakin smiled brightly at him. “I didn’t when you asked meso politely before.”

The Jedi exchanged brief, nervous glances, all but Dooku andNu, who looked openly confused. Well. That was interesting.

“But I’ve found it now,” Anakin continued easily. “And I’vehelped you with a matter regarding the Sith. I believe that was our agreement,in the terms of my release? You wanted to find the Sith holocrons, and I foundthem for you. And I destroyed them.”

The Jedi exchanged a glance. Anakin knew he was stretchingthe terms of his parole, but he also knew that Senator Amidala was standingbeside him, that she too was inside the circle of Jedi, and he was counting onthat. Whatever they might do to him, the Jedi would only push the Senate sofar.

And he was right.

“Proof of this, have you?” asked Yoda, his eyes narrowed andhis ears lowered. The question itself was a concession, and they all knew it.

“He has witnesses,” said Padmé. Her chin was raised and hereyes flashed and she stepped just slightly in front of him, almost unthinkinglyprotective. For just an instant, Anakin forgot that he couldn’t afford to bedistracted.

The rustle of movement at his side brought him back to themoment. “And he has holographic evidence,” said Jothra, grinning and hefting asmall datarecorder. Anakin turned to look at him in surprise. Jothra’s grinwidened. “Thought you might want it later, Boss,” he said. “A nice memento,that kind of thing.”

Sabé let out a snort of laughter. “We can also take you tothe storeroom,” she said with a shrug for the Jedi’s benefit. She too nudgedthe black sludge on Padmé’s floor with her boot, then pulled her foot away withan exaggerated grimace of distaste. “If you want to see the other pile of goo,that is.”

“That would be appreciated,” said Dooku. His tone containednothing but distant, polite interest. Anakin was impressed. There was one Jedi,at least, who understood how the game was played.

“You won’t all need to go, I trust?” said Dormé sweetly.“Surely, Master Jedi, someone could be spared to discuss the Senator’s securitywith me?”

The Jedi exchanged another, longer set of glances. At lastKenobi seemed to draw himself up – like a man preparing himself to facetorture, but determined to keep a brave face on it, Anakin thought. He bit hislip to hold back a wholly inappropriate laugh.

“It would be my pleasure, Milady,” Kenobi said.