#hera blouse

[lisablack000]

Between 520 and 500 BC, the artisans of Magna Graecia left us a unique masterpiece: the Antefix of Hera.

This extraordinary find, used to decorate the roofs of temples, is much more than an architectural element. It represents a journey through time, between fashion, art and ancient symbols.

The female figure depicted wears a tight blouse, an unusual garment for the time, decorated with geometric patterns with squares and black swastikas.

The swastika, today linked to a dramatic story, actually has much older origins and a completely different meaning.

Derived from the Sanskrit "svastika", it was a symbol of well-being, luck and prosperity, used in many cultures of the ancient world.

This masterpiece not only testifies to the artistic refinement of Greek artisans, but invites us to reflect on the evolution of symbols over time.

What remains of their original meanings?

How do they change, adapting to different cultural and historical contexts?

The Antefix of Hera is a window onto the past, an example of how ancient art can still speak to modern man today, revealing not only aesthetics, but also cultural and symbolic complexity.

[marenostrum-ac-dc]

Tra il 520 e il 500 a.C., gli artigiani della Magna Grecia ci hanno lasciato un capolavoro unico: l’Antefissa di Hera. Questo straordinario reperto, utilizzato per decorare i tetti dei templi, è molto più di un elemento architettonico. Rappresenta un viaggio nel tempo, tra moda, arte e simboli antichi.

La figura femminile raffigurata indossa una blusa aderente, un capo inusuale per l’epoca, ornato con motivi geometrici a riquadri e svastiche nere. La svastica, oggi legata a una storia drammatica, ha in realtà origini molto più antiche e un significato completamente diverso. Derivata dal sanscrito "svastika", era simbolo di benessere, fortuna e prosperità, utilizzato in molte culture del mondo antico.

Between 520 and 500 BC, the artisans of Magna Graecia left us a unique masterpiece: the Antefix of Hera. This extraordinary find, used to decorate the roofs of temples, is much more than an architectural element. It represents a journey through time, between fashion, art and ancient symbols. The female figure depicted is wearing a tight-fitting blouse, an unusual garment for the time, decorated with geometric square patterns and black swastikas. The swastika, today linked to a dramatic history, actually has much older origins and a completely different meaning. Derived from the Sanskrit "svastika", it was a symbol of well-being, luck and prosperity, used in many cultures of the ancient world.

[illuminatedquill]

Sabine Wren

Passed Through Fire

Story summary: An unexpected conversation with Jacen Syndulla and his mother, Hera, leaves Sabine Wren with doubts regarding her path as a Jedi. Later that same night Sabine experiences an intense Force vision; what she learns within it will lead to a choice - one that will determine her future as a Jedi, forever.

Sequel to this story:

The Wren-Bridger watchtower is quiet; night on Lothal is falling fast. The stars from the balcony can be seen twinkling overhead, too many to count. Below, the fields of grass sway in the cool evening breeze.

Somewhere, a family of loth-cats scurries through the undergrowth looking for shelter.

Somewhere, the distant howl of loth-wolves can be heard, echoing through the night air.

To some, it is a warning. But for Sabine, she finds the howl to be a comfort. As does her partner, and fellow Jedi, Ezra Bridger.

Sabine leans on the balcony railing taking in the sight and, once again, finds herself falling in love with Lothal. It is home. Always will be.

Our home.

There’s a shared feeling of familiarity and warmth that crosses through the Force. She turned to find Ezra, smiling at her from the doorway.

“It’s a beautiful view,” he said.

Sabine rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight back a smile.

“Hey, it really is,” Ezra protested. “Lothal nights are one of a kind.”

Sabine arches an eyebrow at her partner. “So, you weren’t talking about me?”

“I mean, what words can be used to describe your beauty, Lady Wren? Truly, there are none that can properly convey the constellations in your eyes-”

Sabine scoffed. “What third-rate romantic holo-vid did you pull that from?”

“Actually, I got it from Lando. He said it a lot better, though.”

“Lando, huh. Maybe I should ring him up and hear how it’s properly said, then.”

She made to move inside the watchtower - until Ezra playfully grabbed her by the waist and twirled her into a smooth dance move that dipped her near the floor with him bent over her in a graceful arch.

“Not a chance, Lady Wren,” he said, his eyes serious.

Sabine’s pulse sky-rocketed. Oh, very smooth, Ezra Bridger, she thought.

After a heated moment, he stood her back up and took a bow.

“Well? How was that? Still want to call Lando?”

Trying her level best to sound non-chalant, Sabine replied, “Nice moves.”

“Ah, high praise.” His eyes sparkled as he pointed out, “I don’t think it’s quite that cold for your cheeks to be flushed, however, my Lady Wren.”

Sabine cursed silently. He held out a hand to her.

She took it. "To bed?" she asked.

"Sure. Unless you want to do some light sparring first? To help settle you."

"Not the exercise I'm interested in, at the moment," she said with a smirk.

Ezra's eyes flashed with heat. "Well, let's not waste anymore time."

They were half-way through the living room when their comm station beeped, alerting to an incoming call.

Sabine cursed out loud this time.

Ezra chuckled and crossed over to the comms.

The blue hologram sputtered forth the image of Jacen Syndulla appeared.

"Hi, Ezra! Hi, Sabine!" said the young boy. His grin was infectious in its youthful energy.

"Jacen!" Sabine joined her partner at the comm station, hurriedly buttoning up her blouse. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" Jacen peered closer at the two of them. "Are you guys okay?"

Ezra said, "Yeah, we are. Why?"

"You two look out of breath. Been sparring again?"

Sabine coughed loudly and smoothed her hair. Ezra hid a grin behind his hand.

"Sort of," Sabine said, sheepishly. "Why are you calling this late?"

Jacen grinned and said, "Mom's taking me to see Ahsoka tomorrow."

Sabine looked at Ezra, who mirrored the same look of surprise she had. They knew that Jacen was Force sensitive and most likely held the same strength that lied inherent in his father's blood, Kanan Jarrus. It was only a matter of time before the Jedi path came calling for him.

Hera, however, had been particularly quiet about what she thought regarding her son's future path. As a mother, it can't have been easy for her to think about giving Jacen to the Jedi for training.

As both Sabine and Ezra knew, that was a lifetime commitment. And it came with a steep price.

"Whoa, buddy." Ezra stroked his beard. "That's a lot sooner than we expected."

Jacen pouted. "Really? I've been waiting for ages!”

"We're happy for you, Jacen. Promise." Sabine side-eyed Ezra, who just shrugged. "What does your mom think about this? Is she excited like you are?"

The young boy's face clouded over. "No . . . she pretends to be, but I feel - I don't know. I feel a lot of different things from her whenever we talk about it."

Sabine nodded. "That makes sense. It's a big decision, Jacen."

Jacen nodded. "Ahsoka asked to think about who I want to teach me. As my Master."

"Really?" asked Sabine. "And who do you want as your Master?"

Jacen looked directly at Sabine. "You, Sabine."

Her heart came shuddering to a halt. She could feel Ezra's gaze fall on her.

"Me?" she asked. "Not Ezra?"

"Yes, you." He pointed at her this time as clarification.

Sabine snuck a look at Ezra, worried. She shouldn't have been; his eyes were full of pride and affection without a single trace of jealousy.

As her mind raced with questions, Ezra asked, dryly, "Is it because she has Mandalorian armor and a jetpack?"

"Noooo . . . well, maybe a little bit."

Sabine buried her face in her hands. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Training Kanan's child. That was a huge responsibility.

Am I up to it? Can I do right by him?

It went without saying how much Kanan had influenced her and Ezra's lives. They wouldn't be here without him.

She missed his presence every day. And she knew that Ezra thought about his former master just as much, if not more.

Without looking up, Sabine asked, "Did you tell Hera about your choice?"

There was a pause. Sabine peeked out from her hands and saw the young boy's face look uncharacteristically anxious.

"Yeah, I told Mom."

"And what did she say?"

Jacen looked furtively to the side for a moment, like he was watching for something. Then he whispered, "Promise you won't get mad?"

Ezra looked confused. "Why would we be mad, Jacen?"

"You have to promise," Jacen urged.

Sabine shared a look with Ezra and then nodded. He replied, "We promise."

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Jacen nodded, and then took a deep breath. "Okay, then. She said . . . Mom said she was against it."

The young boy looked down at his feet, ashamed. "Mom doesn't want Sabine as my master."

Sabine sat down, stunned at the admission. She could feel Ezra's puzzlement emanating through the Force, laced with threads of uncertainty.

Hera didn't trust Sabine to train her child.

Not hard to think about why, Sabine.

Even so . . . it hurt to think that Hera didn't have faith in her.

He was about to ask another question when another voice, familiar and filled with outrage, cut in from Jacen's end of the call.

"Jacen! What are you doing?"

Jacen jerked in surprise, eyes widening in horror. "Mom! I thought-"

"Who are you talking to this late at night - oh, you didn't."

The familiar figure of Hera Syndulla, General of the New Republic, filled the hologram gently pushing Jacen to the side. Out of view, Sabine heard Jacen yell, "Chopper! You were supposed to warn me if she was coming!"

Ezra huffed a laugh.

Hera was dressed in plain, comfy night wear - which, to Sabine's realization, none of them had ever seen Hera in casual clothing before. The former Rebel was always seen in her customary flight suit.

She looked tired, but her eyes were sharp eyeing both of them. "Hello, Ezra. Hello, Sabine."

"Evening, Hera. Sounds like you're having a busy day tomorrow from what Jacen tells us." Ezra sounded calm, as though he wasn't perturbed about what Jacen had just said mere second ago.

"Yeah. Sounds like Jacen said quite a lot while I was in the refresher."

She glared to the side and said, in a tone that brooked no dissent, "Bed. Now."

There was a blur in the background of the hologram that had to be Jacen. Hera watched her son off-screen for a little while more and then sighed.

"Sorry about that," she muttered. "He's too wired about tomorrow."

"It's fine," said Sabine. "We always love hearing from him."

"Hmmm. Maybe not this late at night, though." Hera rubbed at her eyes. "I'm going to get a cup of caf."

"We can leave you for the night if you want-" Ezra began, before he was cut off.

"No. I heard everything Jacen told you. And I suspect that Sabine wants to talk with me."

Sabine stared at the hologram. "Are you sure you're not Force-sensitive? Maybe Jacen gets it from you."

Hera gave a half-smile. "Funny." She looked at Ezra. "Ezra, I love seeing you, but this conversation is between myself and Sabine."

Ezra looked at Sabine and she felt his worry and reassurance pulsing through the connection they had.

"It's okay, Ezra. Go to sleep. I'll try not to be long."

He sighed. "Okay." Leaning down, he gave her a kiss on the cheek before departing.

Pausing at the bedroom doorway, he said, "Hera."

"Hmmm?"

"Be nice. Please."

Hera arched an eyebrow. "I don't take orders from you, last I checked."

"Consider it a personal favor to me."

She sighed. "Very well."

Something eased out of his shoulders. "Thanks."

He went inside the bedroom. Sabine and Hera were alone.

"Let me grab that cup and then we'll start." The hologram showed static for a second as the call was put on hold.

Sabine crossed her arms and marshalled her emotions.

Anger. Fear. Sadness.

The emotions Jedi were supposed to know how to deal with.

Emotions that she struggled with every day. She felt no wiser, no more adept at being a Jedi then when she first started all those years ago.

Was it a wonder that Hera didn't want her to mentor Jacen?

There was movement and the hologram sharpened to reveal Hera once more with a freshly brewed cup of cafe. She blew on it for a moment and then said, "You go first."

"I . . . understand your decision, Hera. But it does hurt to hear that you don't trust me to teach Jacen."

Hera's gaze turned sharp, along with her tone. "Not just with Jacen, Sabine. I don't trust you at all. With anything."

Sabine felt her hands unconsciously ball into fists. She breathed deeply, trying to regulate her emotions. Feeling that loss of trust; the relationship she had cherished so much with Hera . . . it was gone.

She had thrown it away when she handed the map to Baylan, along with so many other important things.

"You never understood me." The words slipped out; Sabine barely registered that it was coming from her mouth.

Hera snorted. "Oh, I understand why you did it. All for Ezra. Because you loved him so much, and wanted him back so desperately."

There was a brief pause as she took a sip - and then Hera continued: "Well, news flash, Sabine. You weren't the only one who loved Ezra and wanted to see him come back home."

Sabine crossed her arms. "Ten years. You never came forward with a lead on him-"

"I was busy helping to re-build the New Republic! And I had Jacen to take care of! You think I didn't want to help look for him?"

"And where were you when Mandalore was burned! When my family died! And then Ahsoka left me . . . Ezra was all I had left, don't you get it? I had no one!" Sabine was standing now, her voice raising to almost a shout. She could feel her hands trembling with the raw rage and hurt that was spiraling out of her.

At the mention of her family, Hera's eyes lost some of their anger. She looked away for a moment, blinking hard.

Sabine suddenly realized that Hera was crying.

The rage inside her chest quelled and began to disperse. She took another deep, calming breath.

"You're right about that. I wasn't there for you when . . . when Mandalore fell. And your family - Sabine, I'm so sorry for that. I should have been there."

Sabine sat down, feeling exhausted. "It's in the past, Hera."

"No, it isn't. Not for you," Hera said. "And that's my fault."

A silence spread between the two of them that was, for a moment, impenetrable.

Sabine broke it first. "Hera. None of it was your fault. I wasn't exactly . . . I wasn't - it was a bad time for me. I didn't give out any indication that I wanted anyone around me during - well, really, for a long time. Not just with what happened on Mandalore."

Hera nodded. "That's true. But I should have tried harder for you."

Sabine began to feel the tangled ball of emotions inside her dissipate. Tears began to flow freely down her face.

"I messed up so bad, Hera. I know that. Handing over that map leading to Thrawn . . . do you want to know the worst part?"

"What would that be?"

Her voice was barely a whisper. "I would do it all over again. Even if I knew then how it would all turn out. Even if it meant losing your trust and respect."

Hera sighed. "Oh, Sabine."

"It's not just Ezra, you know? I was so lost. I've been feeling like a failure for so long and I wanted to not feel that way anymore. After the War ended . . . all the victory celebrations and I just couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel happy about any of it. I just kept thinking about what we lost."

She kept talking, just letting it all spill out; everything that had been rotting inside her, spreading a poison that needed to be expelled.

"I kept losing, Hera. Don't you get it? You. Zeb. Even Chopper, that blasted droid, went with you. And I was stuck. And I kept coming back to Ezra - how I felt like the universe owed me this one thing. Just this once, for everything that I did."

She let out a shaky breath. "Just one thing to keep. To call my own. I was tired of giving up everything for a greater good."

Hera asked, "Thinking about Ezra was the only thing that made you happy?"

Sabine let out a laugh. "Yeah, that goofball. Who knew that the kid on Lothal would end up . . . meaning so much. I just kept holding onto that memory of him and it got me through a lot."

It kept me alive, she thought.

"You lost sight of him," Hera said, not unkindly. "The real Ezra. The one who would not have wanted his return to come with the risk of danger to our galaxy."

Sabine nodded.

"Sabine, I understand that. More than you know." Hera leaned back in her chair and sipped at her caf again. "Everyday, I think about Kanan. Especially when it comes to Jacen. I feel so out of my depth with him because of his growing abilities."

Hera sighed. "My own kid. Kanan would know what to do, but he's not here. And sometimes . . . sometimes I resent him for that. Leaving me. Leaving Jacen."

"And then you took on Jedi training with Ahsoka. And I was so hopeful . . ."

"That I could help with Jacen?"

Hera nodded. "Yes."

Sabine waved at herself in a sardonic fashion. "But I turned out like this, instead."

Hera's eyes flashed with renewed fire. "You put my child in danger, Sabine. It's not just about your mistake - you abused your power."

Sabine said, sharply, "What power? I didn't have access to the Force yet, remember?"

"It's not about the Force, Sabine. That's not what makes a Jedi. Even I know that. No, you made a choice. You gambled the fate of our galaxy because of your desire to see Ezra again."

Choice. My choice to save Ezra at the cost of trillions of lives.

"And if you made such a terrible decision before having the Force, then I can't bear to think about what you might do with it. Because there are stories about Jedi who became tempted like you did. And what they did with their abilities is the stuff of nightmares."

Choice. The word echoed in Sabine's head.

"You're worried that I might pass this on to Jacen," Sabine said. Her voice was calm, despite the storm brewing in her stomach.

"Yes," said Hera, quietly. "I see this shadow in you sometimes . . . and it scares me. Jacen can't see it. He adores you."

"His feelings blind him to my failings," said Sabine. "Sounds familiar."

There was another pause. Hera waited for a reply, sipping at the last dregs of her caf.

Sabine just stood there, unable to process anything. She just wanted to sleep - forever.

"Sabine."

She looked at Hera's image.

"Are you certain that this is the right path for you?"

"Being a Jedi?" asked Sabine in a monotone.

Hera nodded.

"I don't know. I struggle with it, everyday."

Hera took that in without comment.

"Why do you want to do it, then? It's not a path that called to you, like with Kanan and Ezra. You chose it."

To atone. But she didn't say that out loud.

Hera, however, guessed at it. "If it's for some kind of penance that you think is owed . . . I'm not sure that's a good reason to be a Jedi."

"Then why should I be a Jedi, then?"

Hera shrugged. "That's for you to figure out." She checked to the side and groaned. "I really hope that chronometer is lying about the time."

"You should get some sleep, Hera," said Sabine, quietly.

"I'll try." She began to turn off the call.

"Hera." Sabine couldn't help herself.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think - can I make this right for you? And Jacen? Can you ever forgive me; trust me again?"

Hera looked at her with such pity and sadness, then. Sabine felt something inside her crumble to dust at the expression.

"I don't think I can, Sabine."

And she was gone.

Sabine turned to enter the watch-tower's sleeping quarters. The doors slid open and she found Ezra, laying awake on their bed.

"You heard?" she asked.

"Yes." He held out his arms. "Come here."

She crawled into his arms and wept her shoulders shaking with bitter grief.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the dream, she is alone.

Kneeling on a stage of starless night.

A voice comes forth - one that she hasn't heard in a lifetime.

"You look a little lost."

Sabine turns to find the achingly familiar figure of Kanan Jarrus, garbed in traditional Jedi robes.

She whispers, "Kanan." All the memories of him threaten to overwhelm her in this moment.

He smiles. "Hey, Sabine. It's been a while."

In a small voice, Sabine asks, "Are you real? Is this happening in my head?"

Kanan shrugged. "Technically, everything happens in your head. Doesn't make it any less real."

"Is this the Force again? Trying to tell me something?"

Kanan turned serious. "Yeah. I've been watching you for a while now, Sabine."

"And? Impressed by my progress?"

Kanan sat down in front of her, cross-legged. "It hurts."

"Yeah?" She wanted to sound defiant, but all that came out was a croak. "Which part?"

He just looked at her with compassion. "It hurts to see you in so much pain."

Sabine didn't want to talk about this. "Where are we?"

"Within the heart of every Jedi lies a place of stillness; a place to reflect, when they meditate. I call it the Still Place."

She snorted. "The 'Still Place'? Kind of lame."

Kanan pouted. "Look, it's not meant to be creative. It just is, okay? That's what it's called."

Sabine sighed and looked around the empty space they inhabited. "Looks like my Still Place is pretty barren."

"It looks different to every person. Focus, Sabine."

She did, closing her eyes - and . . .

The gentle rustle of grass fields in the wind.

She opened her eyes to find herself in a clearing, surrounded by familiar grass lands. Craning her neck upwards, she saw the familiar night sky view of countless stars. In the distance, she saw the capital city and the watchtower she now called home.

"Of course," she said. "Where else would it be."

Kanan smiled. "I miss being here."

She soaked in the view of the world she loved and her former mentor, taking it all in.

"Why are you here, Kanan?"

He returned his gaze to her. "It's not to punish you, Sabine."

"I think I would deserve it. You know what I've done?"

"I know. But it's time to let that go. It's weighing you down. It's hurting you."

"What is?"

"Your attachment to your failures."

Sabine scoffed. "What attachment? I hate my failures! I hate that I messed up!"

"They're a part of you. You need to accept it. And move on."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That makes no sense."

"Try."

"Jedi don't try," she shot back. "They do."

"When it comes to the matters of the Force and their abilities, then yes," replied Kanan. "But in everything else - look, Sabine, the universe is a complicated place. There's no guarantee of anything. That's the secret."

He leaned forward. "Sometimes, the best we can do is try. Even Jedi make mistakes."

"Even like the ones I've made?" she asked.

"Okay, that's a pretty exclusive club," Kanan admitted. "But there are other Jedi who did make mistakes like you."

Sabine looked at him and said, "Hera thinks I'm irredeemable, you know. That I've gone too far and abused my power."

Kanan gave her a look. "Do you think that?"

"I saved Ezra. And it came at a cost."

"You also stated that you would do it again, even knowing the outcome. You also haven't answered my question."

She thought about it. "I don't want to be irredeemable."

"What do you want, Sabine?"

"I want to be a Jedi."

Kanan cocked his head. "Why? You've never shown an interest before, when I was training Ezra."

"No," she admitted. "But I was watching. And I saw how it made you better. You both became stronger."

"Is that what you desire? The powers of a Jedi?"

Sabine frowned. "No . . . no." She let out a breath of frustration. "I don't know how to put it."

Kanan waited for her to gather her thoughts. And, at last, Sabine found the words.

"Taking the path of the Jedi made you both . . . more. More than what you already were. But you both were still yourselves, but also not just yourselves." She still found the statement to be clunky, but it felt true to what she felt.

Kanan smiled and nodded for her to continue.

"I wanted that. To be more than what I was. To protect others, like you both did. To prevent tragedies like we experienced from happening to everyone else. The Rebellion had plenty of soldiers, Generals, and heroes . . . but what the galaxy really needed were Jedi."

She looked up at Kanan. "And you and Ezra were gone."

"So, you wanted to step up. Become what you thought everyone needed."

Sabine nodded.

Kanan smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Sabine. I didn't mean to leave you with that burden."

"It was my choice. But, I let everyone down."

"Being a Jedi isn't about the lightsabers or the Force. It's about your choices, Sabine. It's about being the best possible version of yourself. You didn't need to be a Jedi first and foremost - everyone needed you to be yourself."

Sabine shook her head, feeling the tears starting to well up. "But it doesn't matter, Kanan. I think doing this - going down this path, it made me worse."

"Power," said Kanan, "regardless of where it comes from - the Force, political, or financial - is an amplifier for every person. It doesn't change them. It just gives you the ability to be more of . . . yourself."

"So . . . I am irredeemable?"

"You just said that you don't wish to be, right?"

"Right," said Sabine.

Kanan chuckled. "Then you won't."

She blinked at him. "It's that easy?"

The chuckle turned into a full throated laugh. It'd been so long since she'd heard him laugh.

"No, no. You've got to put in a lot of work, Sabine. But if you decide that you want to make amends, then you can."

"Hera doesn't seem to think so."

Kanan stopped laughing. "She'll be a tough one," he admitted. "You crossed a line with her."

He gazed directly at her and for a moment his eyes turned piercing. "You put our son in danger, Sabine."

Sabine felt a chill go through her that had nothing to do with the Lothal evening breeze. "Then why are you helping me?"

"Because I care for you. And so does she. It's why she's so angry with you."

Kanan stood and ignited his lightsaber. The blue blade was bright as any star, casting brilliant light in the quiet field around them.

"Are you ready? To face what comes next?"

Sabine looked at that sky-blue blade and asked, "What comes next, Kanan?"

"Joy. Despair. Love. Heartbreak. And life." He stared at her, face unreadable. "So much of it. If you want."

Nothing about the conversation had particularly inspired her to continue, she reflected. Kanan had simply told her what she needed to hear.

It would be tough. It would be hard, heart-breaking labor to make amends and find her way.

But . . . she wanted to keep fighting. She wanted to do it.

Sabine would see it through to the end. Make more mistakes, learn from them, and keep going. She would try her best and, when the time came, leave this galaxy with as few regrets possible.

And, hopefully, make it a better place for some.

"I'm ready," she said, quietly.

The blade lowered and rose onto each of her shoulders without touching.

"By the right of the Council; by the will of the Force. I dub thee, Sabine Wren, Jedi Knight of the Republic."

The lightsaber blade retracted into its hilt. Kanan held out a hand.

She took it and rose to her feet.

"That's it?" she asked. "Don't I get a fancy parade or something?"

His laughter, warm and loving, followed her out of the dream.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next day, Ezra took Sabine to the hangar bay where the re-salvaged G9, christened The Starburst Phoenix, laid in wait.

He knew that she wanted to focus her mind on something positive considering the mood from last night. Sabine didn't say anything but she appreciated the gesture to cheer her up, nonetheless.

It was good to have a Jedi partner. You were never really alone. Sabine couldn't fathom why the old Jedi Order forbade these kinds of relationships.

They were mid-way through retrofitting the laser turrets when a call came through the comms.

It was Hera.

Ezra looked at Sabine. "If you want, I'll take this."

She shook her head. Sometimes, all we can do is try our best.

"I'm good, Ezra. Go ahead and answer it."

He did. Hera's voice came through, sounding unsteady.

"Hey, Hera," said Ezra. "How'd it go?"

"Ahsoka finished her tests. He's ready to start his official training." Her voice sounded stuffy, like she had been crying.

Sabine spoke. "I'm sorry, Hera."

"No, it's a good thing. He was always meant for this. You should have seen his face, how it lit up . . . I can't take this from him."

There was a few moments of silence. Hera's voice came back on the line, this time sounding more normal.

"When does his training start?" asked Ezra.

"That's the good news. Her and Skywalker are still setting up the Academy and rounding up other candidates. It will still take some time. Maybe a year, at the most."

"You still have time to spend with him," said Sabine, relieved.

"Yeah. I told the Council that I would be taking the next year off to spend time with my son. Mon Mothma personally approved it."

"Good," said Sabine. "They owe you."

"Yeah," replied Hera. "They do."

There was a long pause and then, barely there: "I'm scared."

Sabine caught Ezra's look. He motioned at her to speak.

She frowned and said, "What are you scared of, Hera?"

"Letting Jacen go. The last time I did that with people I loved . . . it didn't end well."

"When was the last time?"

"Kanan. Ezra. And then, you. I let you all go. I should have fought harder to stay by your side."

Sabine let out a breath. "None of that is your fault, Hera. There was a war. It's different this time with Jacen."

"I can hope, right? Trust in the Force." She sounded almost sarcastic in that last one.

"If you need something more, then trust in me, Hera," said Ezra. "And trust in Sabine. We'll look out for him, I promise."

Hera was silent. There were some voices on the other end of the call. Sabine heard a chuckle.

"Jacen wants to know if he can borrow Sabine's jetpack for his training."

Ezra grinned at Sabine. "We'll talk about it," Sabine replied, smiling.

"My vote is no," said Hera, firmly. "But, who knows? It might come in handy some day for a Jedi padawan."

"It did for me," said Sabine.

"And me," added Ezra.

Hera snorted. "Positive influences you two are. The New Jedi Order's best and brightest."

"Hera," began Sabine, cautiously.

"Yes, Sabine?"

Try my best. Make amends.

"Listen. Now that you've got some time off, Ezra and I were wondering if you would love stopping by Lothal to help with a personal project of ours."

Ezra raised his eyebrows questioningly at her but didn't say anything.

"Oh, yeah. Heard you picked up a real clunker of a ship. G9, right?"

"Hey," protested Ezra. "She's got it where it counts, you know. They flew the G9s during the Clone Wars. I heard even some Jedi used them as personal starships."

"Right," snorted Hera. "I'll take your word for it, Ezra, but I'd take the Ghost over your ship, any day.

"Anyway," continued Sabine, glaring daggers at Ezra, "if you wanted to help out. We could use some experienced hands on the repairs. Make sure nothing blows up when we power it on, that sort of thing."

"You haven't powered it on, yet?"

"No. Because we're worried it might blow up if we do. Haven't you been listening?"

Hera sighed. "Repair work, huh. Great start to a vacation."

Sabine replied, "You don't have to, if you think it's too much to handle."

"Nah. Whatever's broken, we'll fix it together," Hera replied. Sabine could almost see Hera's gentle smile in her mind's eye.

Sabine looked at Ezra, who reached out and held her hand.

"My thoughts, exactly."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Author's Note: This was a really hard one to write. I don't know how I feel about this; I'm not sure if I got everything I wanted to across or if I properly fleshed out the motivations for Sabine. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Gonna take a break from writing fics for a while but, never fear, I'm already planning the next one. It's gonna be Ezra focused. Stay tuned!

[marietheran-archived]

4-11 for the Random Ask Game, please?

Thanks for asking!

4. have a scenario: you have to break someone out of prison, and you are allowed a squad of four people. they can be real or fictional. who are you picking?

Well, for starters, Lúthien and Huan are definitely on the list because they have a good track record lol. So has Fingon now that I think about it, and I'm filling the numbers out with Finrod because I love him and he's also stupidly powerful, even if he lost to Sauron.

Or if it's not Fingon then I'm taking Galadriel instead because I want to see her and Finrod interact. Actually the four of them have to get on well together, it'll be fascinating. And she can actually apparently hold her ground against Sauron.

...of course, I seem to be making the assumption that it's some sort of powerful, supernatural evil we're fighting, because I don't think any of them are very good at subtlety at subterfuge. If it's not, I guess I have to settle for the human members of the Ghost Crew + Hera.

5. best vegetable?

...Do potatoes count?

6. favorite go-to home cooked meal? (I’m surveying you all for new meal ideas lol)

Pancakes or steak haché.

7. if you were a character from an animated series, what would your signature piece of clothing/accessory be?

Probably a very fancy, quasi-victorian white blouse.

8. themes and/or character dynamics in media that you are a sucker for?

Childhood friends to lovers. Cousin relationships. Wars between brothers, metaphorical and otherwise. Larger than life, mythical events and characters. Myths with kind gods. Bittersweet, but satisfying endings. Christian parallels in secular literature.

Idk if all of that even fits the question lol.

9. favorite ship? doesn’t have to be specific, could just be favorite kind of water/spacecraft.

What could it be but Vingilotë?

10. name a song with impeccable vibes.

The Battle of Sauron and Finrod Felagund by Clamavi de Profundis. Love Story by Indila. Wonder from the LotR Musical (the apparent Ainulindale allusions!). A Light in the Dark from Next to Normal. I could go on and on and on...

11. favorite movie sequel?

Empire Strikes Back.

[nectaric]

things your muse will notice about mine: hera.

what they look like: hera is both stunning and incredibly fierce in appearance. she's tall, elegant, graceful and her body is made of toned muscle. she exudes strength as much as she exudes beauty, and its not unusual for people to find her intimidating. she's amazonian, really. she's got symmetrical features, a sharp nose, high cheekbones, and a piercing stare. long dark hair, very curly, that she keeps pristine and shiny. she wears beautiful dresses or trousers with silk blouses, and a few select and elegant pieces of jewelry. when she smiles though - a warm, genuine smile, the mask breaks. she becomes warmth, a mother with laugh lines and a few wrinkles, a woman with battlescars who has walked away on top every time, a woman with stretchmarks and freckles and moles. just... a real woman. (also, her fc is natacha karam now and the vibes are immaculate)

What they smell like: hera has a very nice perfume collection, and cycles through a few favourites on the regular. things with a subtle floral scent, but on the muskier side, closer to cologne. she often smells like coffee too, considering the only person who might drink more than her is her husband.

What they sound like: hera has a deep, huskier voice and her accent when speaking any language other than greek comes through pretty clearly, however fluent she might be. she speaks eloquently, never stuttering or pausing unless its for dramatic effect. she has a tendency to huff or tch often when she's annoyed. her laugh is pretty but full, a rare treat for those who manage to fully amuse her.

What they feel like: hera takes good care of her skin and hair, so they are always soft to the touch. she runs a bit on the cold side, though, so her hands are always pretty icy. there are a few scars on her skin, slightly raised in a few spots where they are more gruesome or fresher. she wears a lot of silk or high end fabrics, so those are also soft to the touch.

[minutiaewriter]

Happy WBW, lovely! Not sure why, but today I'm asking about fashion?? What does the fashion-- I'm talking high, street, or anything else-- look like in your world(s)?

Thanks Tori! I’m glad you are because that’s honestly one of my favorite worldbuilding aspects <3

This will just be a general overview of the fashion typically seen in Hera because you’ve sent in an ask regarding a topic I could write an entirely separate novel on, lol. I’ll try to be brief.

The fashion in Hera looks like a combination of mostly East Asian inspired looks (anything from Rynn’s everyday tunic to Emperor Dusek’s sprawling embroidered silk robes [the wardrobes of royalty in Hera are almost entirely made up of traditional Asian clothing and jewelry]), with a bit of Baroque and 1800s flair thrown in (Kilderan’s and Yojackson’s blouses and Kilderan’s general style) But also typical sci fi clothing (Kilderan’s long black coat, Yojackson’s and Aome’s clothing) The clothing and fashion is as diverse as the races and species present in the world. I’ll leave some pictures below to give some examples:

And don’t even get me started on jewelry. I use jewelry and gemstones as motifs and symbolism all the time, these have been some of my inspirations pulled directly from the emperor’s wardrobe:

Thanks again for the ask Tori 💚 and definitely expect more on this in the future because I could go on about Hera’s fashion trends all day

[ilovelisasstuff]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: HERA Black Silk Open Sleeve Blouse - S.

[aliab-media]

Magazine Editorial, Harper's Bazaar Vietnam, May 2024

The Hera blouse and skirt (top) and Calypso silk dress (bottom) from the Odyssey Act 2 collection as featured in Harper's Bazaar Vietnam.

[immenselyu]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Hera ~ Blouse.

[finiel]

i wanted to add a little commentary on why i made certain choices here! i'll put it under the cut if anyone's interested :3

so the overall concept is as follows: what if you could buy your own hera software to install, and she had a character design in the same way vocaloids do? how do i think goddard would have designed her, given what i know about her and the company? (which, granted, is not much since i'm not that far in but i did my best lol)

BROAD LOOK: i read on her character page that hera was activated in 2012. so, i tried to design her with that in mind - what would a tech company in 2012 want out of a cute girl mascot for their ai mother system? (this design is only for hera, i imagine the others would have their own looks just as hatsune miku and gumi have different looks. they're different people!) i thought they'd go for a trendy, stylish, sleek look that still read as "modest" and "professional." this posed my first challenge: make something cute that would still pass a corporate dress code AND read as futuristic. here are the elements i chose deliberately for that:

the collar. now, i was 10 in 2012, so i did have to do some research on what adults were wearing at the time. statement collars came up a LOT. i also thought it would lend some professionalism, so win-win! i decorated it with the glowing circuit design from the rest of the ensemble to give it a little flair and make it stand out, since the blouse ended up a dark color (i couldn't make it white because that brought her too far into miku territory).

the rest of the blouse. i made it sleeveless because it felt more playful and trendy. i gave it a peplum because... well, i generally hate peplum blouses; but they were everywhere back then, and it felt like a choice goddard would make, so i made it too. (for those that don't know, a "peplum" is that part at the bottom that flares out! you usually see it on shirts, skirts, or dresses. it was very popular in 2012, but has roots as far back as ancient greece!) i tried to design it in a way that i was happy with. i think it gives her silhouette a cute flair and makes the garment feel more structured, which is what i wanted. the circuit pattern on the peplum subtly changes the way the silhouette comes across; it breaks up the torso, separating the bust from the rest of the shirt to create a shape i find more appealing. It also keeps the blouse from looking too plain, because i didn’t want her whole outfit to be either a gradient or a solid color. recently, i’m trying to shy away from patterned clothing less in my art.

the gloves. i thought these would add to the futuristic aesthetic as well as give her an “official” feel, like she was in some kind of leadership position. the glowing rings around her wrists and ankles mimic planetary rings and moons, and also lean into the sci fi look. how do they stay in place? i don’t know! but they’re cute, right?

the skirt. it was hard not to give her a miniskirt, because i love miniskirts, but this is another part where i had to remember the corporate aspect. they wouldn’t want her to come off as too “immodest,” and also this was 2012, so she gets a knee length hemline. also, it’s a pencil skirt because those were commonly worn with peplum blouses to give the flair some contrast with a close-fitting garment. fashionable office clothes. i kept it free of too much pattern since i didn’t want an excessively busy design, but i did leave the glowing strip near the hem to tie it in with the rest of the outfit.

the boots. lately i’ve been trying to draw more cool shoes, and i like these a lot! wedge heels like these ones were also big in 2012, often on sneakers, but i thought these ankle boots would feel more classy. sleek lines and bright accents provide just enough visual interest. oh, also her legs are a slightly lighter blue than her skin because she’s wearing tights. more professionalism

the hair. i couldn’t choose between the two styles i associate the most with this time (at least, the ones i think can be made to look sleek; carefully tousled hair was in vogue but i didn’t think it was right for this design). the bob with the angled side parted bangs was one i used to want so bad, and it felt more cool to me. but the half up, half down look went the best with this outfit and was also popular back then, so it’s the one i went with in the main reference. i imagine she could be drawn with either, depending on promotional material and things like that. the bob has the under layers of hair colored yellow, and the longer style has an ombre and streak through the hair. both are intended to add contrast as well as what i imagine some kind of board of directors might call “edge.”

the headphones. i thought this would give her a somewhat less human look, to not have ears, but instead these little things that look like headphones on the side of her head. for some reason i associate this with cute anime robot girls, though i can’t think of any off the top of my head that have it. also, for some reason i didn’t draw it at an angle where it’s clear, but the antenna on her right is shaped like the astrological symbol for juno. the antenna itself is like an upside down cross, and i’ve stylized the light rays coming out of the tip to mimic the burst at the top of the symbol. if anyone’s unaware, hera in greek mythology is mainly the goddess of marriage and childbirth, and juno is seen as her roman “counterpart.” i have a lot of thoughts on how this plays into hera w359, but i’ll save that for another post. it’s relevant here because i couldn’t find a symbol for hera specifically, so i decided juno would do fine.

the colors. speaking of the goddess, one of the animals associated with her is the peacock. i thought that went well with the tech theme, since i think many people (myself included) associate blues and greens with technology. so, her palette is inspired by peacocks! i know this is specifically the coloration of male peacocks. i felt like that’s something a company would overlook and do anyway, because it’s the more commonly recognizable peacock coloring, and unintentionally visually code this mascot as transgender. in the early 2010s, it would be common for people to bring up things like “did you know hera’s design is actually based on MALE peacocks????????? isn’t that CRAZY and FUNNY and WEIRD???” and then closer to, like, 2024, people would post about her like “does anyone remember this ai mascot design??? trans icon???” and post about her being queer or whatever. i… got really invested in this hypothetical.

the colors PART TWO! i specifically gave her blue skin, because i feel like her designers would have orders to make her as “aracial” as possible. “we want EVERYONE to be able to relate to hera <3 she’s a woman of the WORLD <3” (but really they just want to avoid the potential controversy that would come with giving her a specific race/ethnicity) (but also they choose a light blue for her skin because they’re still running on eurocentric beauty standards) (“but look at how culturally sensitive we are!!!!!11!!1!”)

oh yeah and you can kind of see it in the short hair version where her eyes are open, but i think they would try to go for an anime style to appeal to that crowd, since anime was kind of breaking into western mainstream consciousness around then

here's what i think hera would look like if goddard futuristics had designed a visual representation of her, like a vocaloid :3

[zoentrope-rkgk]

Hera the Queen of Olympus. I love her outfit https://www.instagram.com/zoentrope/ 

https://twitter.com/zoentrope

[herateleia-blog]

i have a long standing headcanon-ish thing---actually the setting for a piece of devotional prose poetry that i’ll write as soon as i feel that i Can write it---where the three lady kronides get together to bake bread from scratch.  

demeter provides the flour, whose wheat she grew and milled herself, hera brings herself and the wine, and they both meet up at hestia’s house---her kitchen and her oven.  they take turns making the dough, drink the wine hera brought while waiting for it to rise, knead it together on the counter with fingers powdery-white from flour. 

and it’s just---family and warmth and togetherness in a way that exists outside of marriage and children.  

[minutiaewriter]

The inspiration behind some of the character outfits in Hera because we love ruffled blouses here

[jessicas-pi]

*chanting* MEDIEVAL AU KANERA MEDIEVAL AU KANERA MEDIEVAL AU KANERA

Cotan's fist was knotted in Hera's blouse as he slept, his sling snugly wrapped over one of her shoulders.

Protect your brother, Father had said, before he sent her away, pressing a dainty little blaster into her hand and eyeing Orn Free Taa with an unsuppressed disgust.

But his worry was unnecessary. They had been completely safe here, in Jedha Palace. The War raged on Ryloth, but the Syndulla children were far from the destruction.

She let her hands rest on the cool sandstone windowsill, savoring the desert breeze with her eyes closed. Footsteps sounded behind her, but she didn't move. The hallway was easily wide enough for them to pass her by.

But they didn't.

Instead, she stumbled, one hand flying up to Cotan's sling, as the person walked right into her.

"Ah! Watch where you're going!" Hera cried, whirling on the clumsy—

Oh.

"If only I could," Prince Dume laughed, giving her an unfairly charming smile.

Still supporting the sling with one hand, Hera dropped into a curtsy—even though the Prince couldn't see it.

"My apologies, Your Highness!"

He shook his head, still smiling. "No need for that, Lady Syndulla. And please. Just Caleb. We are friends, are we not?"

Hera blinked, suddenly glad that he couldn't see the heat rushing into her face. "You recognized me?"

"It was mostly your accent," Prince Dume admitted. "There are not so many Twi'leks here, and your voice was too young for Knight Secura. Besides, I have not forgotten our adventure through the city—have you?"

"Oh, yes! I mean—that is, no. No, I haven't forgotten our... adventure," she stammered, stumbling over her words.

Prince Du—Caleb—offered her his arm, then.

"I confess, I was just now on my way to the créche to see our foundling. Would you care to accompany me?"

Our foundling. He said it so carelessly—and she supposed it was true, the child was in a way their foundling—but it set her heart aflutter just the same. It seemed to imply, well... parenthood. Togetherness.

"Of course," she breathed, accepting the offered arm. "I would love to."

"Thank the stars," Caleb sighed, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Ezra has been asking constant questions on when you would come see him. I think he might like you even more than me, Miss Hera."

Hera's voice was stuck in her throat. The Prince was so near her; his breath tickled her neck, sending shivers up her spine. But she didn't need to say anything, thank goodness; Cotan spoke before a second had gone by.

"'Leb?"

Their voices must have awakened him, and he blinked his bright eyes at Caleb, wiggling and making grabby hands.

"'Leb! 'Leb! Go 'Leb!"

Caleb's smile grew, as did Hera's heart palpitations.

"My goodness, is that Cotan?" He looked at her, his sightless eyes somehow finding and holding her gaze. "If it is not too much of an imposition—I hope it is not—may I hold him, Miss Hera?"

"'Leb! Go 'Leb, Ha-ha!"

Hera removed her arm from Caleb's and lifted her young brother from the sling, settling him in Caleb's arms as per the little boy's command.

As soon as he was held snugly, Hera tried to step back, but Cotan's chubby fingers tightened on her sleeve.

"No, Ha-ha!"

"I don't think he wants you to go, Ha-ha," Caleb teased.

"Well, we cannot quite walk like this, can we?" she replied, amazed by the calmness in her voice.

"Hm." Caleb smiled. "Perhaps we can, if we—"

He shifted Cotan into just one arm, letting Hera support the child's back, and moved his other arm to rest around her shoulders. She could not silence her soft gasp as his hand brushed against her pearl-adorned lek, and he immediately froze.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, I was only startled," she cut him off quickly, and to prove it, she put her free arm around him. "I do not mind. Not at all."

"Oh. Excellent," he said, and her heart jumped into her throat as his thumb absently brushed back and forth on her shoulder. "Now. On to the créche?"

"Yes," she whispered, then cleared her throat. "Yes," Hera repeated, more firmly. "On to the créche."

[asterigos]

MUSECARAVAN || MARCELLA / FINN

@musecaravan

Marcella was good at one thing and one thing only, and this was not it. It had been a very long time since she’d had to dig up clothing that fell outside of the category of nondescript casual. Still, her hand had instinctively reached for the worn jacket that had some fraying at the hem only to have to remind herself this was not the occasion for that. Business casual was what this position called for. She fidgeted in front of her mirror flatting out invisible wrinkles in clothing she was unaccustomed to wearing. The smooth fabric of the slacks felt slick and roomy to her legs that were used to the confines of jeans, and her torso felt much the same way in an ironed blouse and blazer.

At least she drank blood beforehand. She’d had to force herself to because her twisting stomach was not in the mood, but Marcella knew she’d feel the pangs of hunger later if she didn’t and she wasn’t sure when her next opportunity would be if Finn accepted her application.

Her reflection was that of a stranger. Marcella rolled her eyes. Remember the reward, she reminded herself. Hera had better make good on her word or even her divinity wouldn’t save her from Marcella’s wrath of which she had a boundless amount.

She arrived to see Finn a little early and took the few minutes to force her body to relax as much as she could. There was still a tautness she couldn’t completely rid herself of, but this would have to do. Her mouth curved into a polite, amicable smile, but void of warmth. She did her best to mimic it nonetheless.

“Ms. Ilios, pleasure to meet you,” Her words felt as stiff as she felt, but she attempted to hide this behind a pleasant demeanor. Marcella held out a hand as seemed to still be customary. Some things never changed.

This all felt… Wrong. Never had Marcella felt more foreign in her own skin as she did now. It felt like many lifetimes ago that she was a lawyer introducing herself to coworkers, prospective clients, and people of interest to the cases she took on. But that was the persona she had to adopt now because her usual self wouldn’t cut it at all, and she admittedly was mildly intrigued to see what Finn would be like. It seemed permissible to allow herself this curiosity when the two of them would have to spend a great deal of time together.

“How are you? Thank you for taking the time to talk. I’m eager to discuss the position of your assistant.”

What a fall from grace. She used to be the one vetting chosen candidates to be her own assistant and now she was the one of the hopeful applicants. It was almost shameful – almost. She didn’t have enough pride left in her to feel too embarrassed over the current situation, but rather over how rusty she felt at navigating it.

Marcella saw no reason not to dive in. That and she didn’t know what to say for small talk other than to talk about the weather or some other equally dull topic.

“I do have a question about the live-in aspect of the job.” She forced herself not to react to the thought of it. Time to say farewell to her privacy if she was successful here today.

“What would the living situation be like exactly? Would you be offended if, in the event I were chosen for the position, I were to keep my place anyway?”

She was not about to keep firearms and all other equipment relevant to her true profession where Finn would easily find it.

[nectaric]

“stop slouching, you’ll ruin your back before the day is over.”   hera tapped her daughter on the shoulder as she entered, turning to face her with a tight-lipped expression.  she had actually dressed down for the occasion, in nice jeans and a simple blouse to fit in with the other staff at thyia’s hospital.   “i came to see my hardworking daughter, and offer my services.  are there any struggling new mothers who could use a blessing from me?”

@goddessofbirth