#holocron archive

[archeo-starwars]

[archivyrep]

Kyber memory crystals, preservation, and memory

Cad Bane apprehends the Kyber memory crystal in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The kyber memory crystal is a device known as a memory crystal which is used for storing data. One crystal was even used to store information on all infants who are Force-sensitive. Despite the fact this valuable record is guarded, [1] it is stolen by a bounty hunter named Cad Bane on behalf of Darth Sidious. Furthermore information within the crystal can only be accessed when placed in another information-storage device: a holocron, which only a force-user can open.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Dec. 14, 2022.

It is something different from crystalline holobooks which store vast amounts of information in the Jedi Archives, or even the hand-held holocrons, ancient devices. These memory crystals are, as noted in the Wookieepedia entry for kyber memory crystal, designed so data can only be accessed if in a Jedi holocron, [2] and the two components are kept apart. Bane, as previously mentioned, exploits this by coercing Anakin to open the holocron to save the life of Ahsoka Tano, so he can access the information within, in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Cargo of Doom". Only a few of the children on the crystal were captured and later recovered as shown in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Children of the Force". For some reason, he never copied the list before it was recovered by the Jedi. Apart from this, in Darth Vader (2017) 10, Darth Vader is given the memory crystal of Jocasta Nu, which he destroys to "prevent the Emperor from recruiting Sith rivals", eliminating any further information about her.

More directly, while kyber memory crystals are not electronic recordkeeping or information systems. Neither are they noncurrent, inactive, ephemeral, frozen, or facilitative records. Instead, on some level, these records have significance and usefulness to "require their retention for extended periods of time", i.e. long-term value. They also have evidential value and are undoubtedly records:

information or data stored on a medium and used as an extension of human memory or to support accountability [3]

In the case of memory, these crystals are not knowledge of "things of the past" or any sort of recollection, but more in the final form, in terms of computing, i.e. "the portion of a computer used to store information." These crystals do not fulfill the other forms of memory, as they are often based on institutions, group, or organizations. [4] I do hope those crystals aren't read-only memory, i.e. data that can be "read but not changed"! There's more to the kyber memory crystals than this.

There is some speculation that they may hold memories. Beyond that, they are different from kyber crystals which power lightsabers. If the crystals that power lightsabers are "deeply rooted in Jedi tradition", does that mean the same for these memory crystals? This is never answered, but they may have some roots in tradition, as they are undoubtedly used to store information of different types.

Otherwise, there are questions in my mind about preservation. What is done to prevent "harm, injury, decay, or destruction" of these devices? What efforts are taken to limit the "gradual deterioration...from interaction...handling and use, or...composition of the media itself"? This is not answered, unfortunately. I even looked on Archive of Our Own, a collaborative fanfiction archive, and alas found no fics about this, even among the hundreds about kyber crystals.

That's all for this post. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] This is as shown in Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Holocron Heist", as noted on Wookieepedia.

[2] Bane says something different, claiming the holocron has information he needs to collect when the crystal is what actually has the information, but it appears to be an error.

[3] Other definitions of record include: "information or data created or received by an organization in the course of its activities; organizational record"; a phonodisc; "a collection of related data elements treated as a unit, such as the fields in a row in a database table; a data record"; "an entry describing a work in a catalog; a catalog record". This differs from the broader data ("facts, ideas, or discrete pieces of information, especially when in the form originally collected and unanalyzed"), information ("A collection of data, ideas, thoughts, or memories"), or material ("the substance of which something is made"; "a thing; a resource"; "an object having physical or intellectual substance").

[4] Other forms of memory include collective memory ("the information that serves to unify a group of people and provide a group identity"), institutional memory ("the information held in employees' personal recollections and experiences that provides an understanding of the history and culture of an organization, especially the stories that explain the reasons behind certain decisions or procedures"), and corporate memory ("the information in records and in individuals' personal knowledge that provide an understanding of an organization's or group's history and culture, especially the stories that explain the reasons behind certain decisions or procedures"). There's also memory workers, i.e. those who work with "recorded information, particularly when accompanied by a focus on supporting justice and equity and protecting others from harm".

[jetii]

Event Horizon

Chapter Seven: Forward

Chapter WC: 4,854

Chapter Tags/Warnings: None

A/N: I decided to split this chapter into two because there's a lot of dialogue, and the cliffhanger was just too good to pass up. The second part will be uploaded on Sunday though, so you won't have to wait too long!

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Coruscant, 21 BBY

The Archives are silent, the only sound the faint hum of the overhead lights. You sit at one of the holoterminals, a holocron floating in front of you, the images shifting and changing.

You're still searching for answers, for some connection, anything that might help you find your master, but you've hit another dead end. You've read every file, every record, but there's nothing. Nothing but rumors and hearsay, and you're no closer to finding the truth than you were all those years ago. 

You had tried to keep your promise to Obi-Wan, to let the past go and to focus on the present, but the nagging feeling that there was something more, something hidden, refused to leave you. Seeing Vayel again had only stoked the flames.

The feeling of blackness that had risen up inside you that day had receded again, but it hadn't left completely. You were able to control it, to suppress it, but it was always there, lurking just beneath the surface. You weren't foolish enough to believe that it was gone for good. But you were careful not to feed it, careful not to indulge it, and you hoped that by avoiding its temptations, you could keep it at bay.

Your time spent relegated to the Archives was a punishment, but it was also a lesson and a much-needed reminder. You were a Jedi, and you needed to act like it. Your emotions were getting the better of you, and your actions were putting others at risk. That was not what the Order stood for, and it was not the kind of person you wanted to be. You needed to do better, be better, and the Archives were a way to do that.

It was a reminder that there was more to being a Jedi than the fighting, the battles. There was a whole universe of knowledge, of wisdom, that lied here in these halls. You had combed through many of the shelves during your youth, and even more during the past few years as an investigator, but now you found yourself delving deeper, searching for answers that were eluding you.

In your downtime between sorting the endless piles of data and the other tasks Madam Jocasta assigned you, you would find yourself pouring over old texts, ancient manuscripts, and forbidden holocrons, searching for clues. It was a dangerous game, and one that could easily lead you down a dark path, but it was a risk you were willing to take.

But, like the rest of your efforts, this too has yielded no results.

You lean back in the chair and sigh. The exhaustion is catching up with you, and you rub your eyes, the pressure a dull ache. The past few weeks have been a blur, and you haven't had a proper night's sleep in what feels like forever. It's starting to take its toll.

You've just resolved yourself to seeking out more caf when a pair of footsteps approach, the sound echoing off the marble floor. You don't need to look to know who it is, and you don't bother to lift your hands from your face.

"I knew I would find you here," Obi-Wan's voice says, the tone teasing.

"Well, this is my punishment," you say, and despite your efforts, the corner of your mouth quirks upwards. "The question is, what are you doing here?"

You finally drop your hands and turn in your chair to see he's leaning against one of the shelves, a familiar smile on his lips. His robes rumpled, his beard a bit longer than usual, but his eyes are bright, and there's a spark of mischief there.

"Looking for you, of course."

You huff, a near laugh were it not for the frustration brewing inside you. “I haven’t seen you in weeks, and now when the final hour of my sentence falls, you show up? Typical."

“It’s your punishment, not mine,” Obi-Wan reminds you, his grin a touch too smug.

You roll your eyes, but there's no real heat in it. The familiarity, the banter, is comforting, and it feels good to have someone here, someone who cares.

"How is Senator Flessom, anyway?" he asks.

You shift uncomfortably in your seat. You've done your best not to think about her, about the last time you saw her, but the memory is still fresh, and the shame is a heavy burden.

"Fine, I suppose," you reply, the words coming out more curt than intended, and you sigh. "I haven't really spoken to her since... well, you know."

He nods, and the silence hangs between you, the tension thick in the air.

The truth is, you haven't seen her since the attack. You'd left her at the Senate, and you'd returned to the Temple, your mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, guilt, anger, shame. The memories are a haze, but the feelings are still there, and they're not going away anytime soon.

Obi-Wan had returned from his mission the next day, and he'd sought you out immediately, the worry and concern plain on his face. You'd told him everything, and he'd listened. You'd wanted, no, needed, someone to blame, and the words had tumbled out of you, a jumbled mess of anger and regret.

And then, the shame had hit, and the tears had fallen, and the reality of the situation had set in. You'd failed. Not only had you put her at risk, but you'd been careless, reckless, and it was a miracle that no one had died.

You'd expected him to chide you, to reprimand you, but instead, he'd pulled you into a tight embrace. He'd held you until the tears had dried, and the sobs had subsided, and the anger had faded, and when he'd finally released you, his eyes had been filled with understanding and a touch of pride.

"She was right," he'd said, his voice soft, and you'd frowned, unsure of his meaning.

"Right about what?" you'd asked, and he'd smiled sadly at you.

"About you," he'd replied. "She said you were a good person, and she was right."

His words had cut through the last of your defenses, and the guilt had risen, the shame a crushing weight. But, despite the pain, the anger, the hurt, a small part of you had felt something else, something unfamiliar. Something that had sparked a flame inside you, a warmth that had spread through your body.

Helora had seen something in you, something you'd never known was there, and it had given her hope, had made her believe that there was still good in the galaxy. And despite the pain and the disappointment, a small part of you had believed her.

You clear your throat, the memories fading. "I should apologize to her, I know, but..."

Your voice trails off, and the words hang in the air, the unspoken feelings filling the space between you. You know you should, but the thought of facing her, of admitting your mistakes, your failures, is too much.

"There are no easy answers, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan says quietly. You sigh, and your shoulders slump. He's right, and there's no point in avoiding the truth.

"She's safe, at least," he adds. "That's the important thing."

"Yeah, I suppose," you mutter. You're not convinced, but the fact that she's alive is something, at least.

"Perhaps, when the time is right, you can try again. You're not the first Jedi to make a mistake, and I doubt you'll be the last."

He offers you a sad smile, his eyes full of understanding, and the sight makes your heart ache. Despite the melancholy that's settled over you, you can't help but try to return the gesture, the corners of your lips quirking upwards.

"Thanks, Obi-Wan."

"What can I say, I'm full of good advice," he quips. You can feel the satisfaction pouring from him when you scoff and shake your head, the familiar banter helping ease the pain.

"How's Anakin?" you ask, eager to change the subject.

You hadn't seen much of Anakin since before he left for Christophsis months ago, but you were aware that his duties had kept him busy. He had a Padawan now, and he was in charge of an entire army, and that was more than enough to keep him occupied. 

Still, you couldn't help but worry, and the fact that you'd been so preoccupied with your own problems to check in with him wasn't sitting well.

“You can ask him yourself,” Obi-Wan says with a shake of his head.

He pushes himself off the shelf and takes a step forward, his boots thudding softly against the stone floor. You accept his offered hand despite your confusion, and he pulls you up, the motion smooth and practiced.

It takes a moment, but realization dawns. “What do you—really?”

He smiles, the expression warm, and his hand squeezes yours.

"Yes, really," he replies. "It's time, my friend."

Your arms are wrapping around his waist before he can finish speaking, holding him tight, your head pressed against his chest. He returns the embrace with a huff of laughter, and the warmth seeps into your bones.

"Thank you," you mumble, your voice muffled by his robes.

“Only you would be this excited to go back to work," he teases, the words accompanied by a gentle pat on the back.

You pull away and shrug sheepishly. "What can I say, it's been a slow few weeks. I could use a bit of action."

"Well, I'm sure Anakin will be more than happy to provide you with plenty of excitement," Obi-Wan remarks with mock-exasperation.

You roll your eyes, but the gesture is fond, and you can't help the grin that spreads across your face. "I'm sure he will."

You turn around to shut down the terminal, the holographic image flickering and then disappearing. You glance back and see that Obi-Wan has followed, his arms crossed behind his back, his expression one of polite interest. The holocron ejects, the object hovering in the air for a brief moment before coming to a rest in the palm of your hand.

He arches a brow at the sight, his gaze flickering from the holocron to your face.

"You've been continuing your research, I see."

"I've been doing what I can," you respond, trying to keep your voice equally calm, even though the subject still stings, a reminder of your failures.

He pauses, and his brows furrow, and you can tell he's thinking carefully about his next words.

"I know how hard it is, losing a master, but dwelling on the past won't help you," he says, his tone gentle, but the words still carry a hint of caution. "I know you want answers, and you deserve them, but obsessing over a single clue isn't healthy."

"I know," you sigh. You look down, the holocron resting heavily in your hand. "But I can't stop. There's something here, I can feel it."

There’s a long silence as his eyes rove over your face, his expression thoughtful. You know he's looking for any trace of deception, and the scrutiny is unnerving. You meet his gaze, doing your best to project calmness and serenity through your bond, and after a few seconds, his shoulders relax, and the tension eases.

"I understand," he says. "I believe I would feel the same, if the situation was reversed. But, please, remember what I said."

"I will, I promise," you say, and you mean it.

He gives a small smile, the warmth returning to his gaze.

"Good. Now come, let's not keep Anakin waiting. Force knows he’s looking for an opportunity to give us a lecture on personal responsibility for a change."

The idea of Anakin lecturing anyone is absurd, especially two Jedi Masters, and you can't help the amused grin that spreads across your face. The humor is a welcome distraction, and the thought of seeing him again, of working alongside him again, is a pleasant one.

"Alright, alright," you acquiesce, and you follow his lead, your strides swift. Obi-Wan waits as you place the holocron safely back in its vault, and the doors close, the seal hissing and locking.

The walk out of the Archives is, as expected, quiet. Madam Jocasta is not around, but the guards are ever-present, their eyes following you as you leave. Obi-Wan offers them a curt nod, and they return the gesture.

The Temple halls are busy, and the hum of conversation, of the day-to-day life, fills the air. Jedi pass by, walking with intent, their robes billowing behind them. You loop your arm through Obi-Wan's, and the two of you meld seamlessly into the flow of the crowd.

"So, how long have you been waiting to spring me?" you ask, the question half-teasing, half-serious.

"A while," he admits, and there's a trace of sadness in his tone. "I'd hoped to come sooner, but the Council has kept me occupied."

You nod grimly at his frustrated sigh. You'd known the Council had been keeping him busy, the endless missions and meetings taking a toll, but you'd never expected him to have time for you, and you certainly hadn't expected him to come rescue you.

"It wasn't so bad," you say, trying to lift the mood. "It was nice, getting some time to reflect, to clear my head."

Obi-Wan glances down at you, and the skepticism is evident on his face. "You, clear your head? That'll be the day."

You scowl, but the expression is playful, and you bump his shoulder with your own. "Hey, I can be reflective, you know. I'm not always jumping headfirst into things, ready to start a fight."

"Of course, my mistake," he replies dryly, and the smile is back. "I must have been thinking of another reckless Jedi, clearly."

You scoff indignantly, but the grin on your lips is unabashed. You'd missed this, missed him, the banter and the closeness, and the feeling that you were doing some good. The past few weeks had been a struggle, and you'd often found yourself lost in thought, replaying the events over and over, questioning your decisions, your motives, your very identity. But, with him by your side, the doubts seemed a bit smaller, a bit easier to bear.

"I missed you, too," he says, and the words are accompanied by a warm chuckle.

You shake your head, half-exasperated, half-amused. You'd forgotten, again, about the bond between you. It was a comfort, having him in your mind, and you often found yourself doing it subconsciously. But, at times, it could be inconvenient, and the intimacy, the knowledge that he could feel everything you did if you weren’t careful, was a little unnerving.

"Yeah, well," you trail off, a blush rising to your cheeks. "Don't let it go to your head. I'd happily hang out with Master Mundi if it meant getting out of the Archives."

"I'll be sure to relay that to the Council, then," he teases.

"No!" you exclaim. The protest is a touch too loud, and several heads turn towards you. You smile apologetically, and they quickly lose interest, returning to their business.

"That's what I thought," he murmurs, the words smug, and his gaze flicks over to yours, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Oh, shut up.”

He laughs, and you bump his shoulder again, unable to contain your own grin.

"Speaking of which," Obi-Wan continues, and his voice is softer, the laughter fading. "I have news from the Council."

“Oh?”

"Well, in addition to the assignment, they also have an idea," he explains, and his tone is casual, but you can sense the excitement, the pride, through the bond. He doesn't wait for you to ask, and the words rush out, eager to share. "We've decided that your return to duty should be spent under the tutelage of an older and wiser Jedi."

Your brows furrow, and your gaze flickers to his face. He's looking ahead, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Master Windu? I mean, he is older and wiser."

"No, not Master Windu."

The realization dawns on you, and your heart leaps.

"No, don't tell me."

Hearing this, Obi-Wan's restraint snaps, and his smile bursts forth, bright and dazzling. 

"Me, yes," he confirms.

"So, we're working together again," you say slowly, watching him carefully for any sign of deception. When you find none, your grin matches his own.

"Yes, we are,” he says. “If that's what you want, of course."

You stop walking, and Obi-Wan follows, the both of you standing still amidst the throng of passing Jedi. You take a moment, staring up at his face, trying to convey your sincerity through the bond.

"There's nothing I want more, Obi-Wan. You know that."

His gaze softens, and the warmth floods through the bond, enveloping you.

"I do," he says, his voice full of affection. "But I had to ask. Things are different now, and I don't want you to feel pressured."

The thought is absurd, and you can't help the short laugh that escapes you. You've felt pressure your entire life, from the time you were a child, and the Council, the Order, the Republic, were weighing on your shoulders. Obi-Wan was, had always been, your choice.

"No, never," you say emphatically. Your expression falters for a moment, and you search his eyes. "I just...that's not what the Council wanted, is it?"

"No," he admits, deflating slightly, and the corners of his lips turn downwards. "But they've agreed, for the time being."

You shake your head and sigh, looking away. "They've given up, is what you mean."

The truth is, you're not surprised. You knew the Council was losing patience, the constant arguments, the questions, the defiance, a sore spot. You'd thought that you'd proven yourself, but your actions on Hisseen had only served to undermine that. They saw you as a liability, and you were quickly becoming a nuisance, an annoyance. And the worst part was, you couldn't even blame them.

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan concedes. His hand finds your arm, his touch gently coaxing you to look back up. "Perhaps not. But, that's not important. What matters is that you have another chance, and we have another opportunity to fight together, to make a difference."

His words are earnest, and you can't help but smile, if only a little. You know he's trying to reassure you, and it's working. It always works. Obi-Wan's faith in you, his willingness to risk himself and his reputation to ensure that you were given a chance, was a powerful thing. You couldn't let him, couldn't let yourself, down.

"Yes, of course," you agree, and you do your best to infuse your voice with determination, with resolve. "Let's do it. Together."

His answering grin, the relief and happiness, is infectious, and you find yourself grinning back, your spirits lifted.

"Yes, together," he says. He squeezes your arm before letting go, and the two of you continue through the halls, your strides in sync, the bond humming between you. It quiets the further you walk, the murmur of conversation a distant hum, until the only sound is the echo of your footsteps.

"So where are they sending us?" you ask, breaking the silence.

“Felucia," Obi-Wan answers, and your eyebrows shoot up.

"Felucia?"

"That's what I said," he confirms, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Why?"

"That's what I said, too," he admits, and you roll your eyes. "Apparently, the Confederacy has established a foothold on the planet, and they're looking to expand."

"They're sending us to a jungle world infested with wild creatures and Separatists, and they think this will help me calm down?" you ask incredulously.

"Oh, it's not that bad," Obi-Wan reassures you. "I've heard the weather is quite lovely this time of year."

You roll your eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm sure the sunsets are spectacular."

He chuckles, and the sound makes you smile, despite your trepidation.

"That's the spirit," he says with a fond shake of his head. "I can always count on you to look on the bright side."

"It's going to be a mess, isn't it?"

"Probably, but it's not like we haven't faced worse." He gives your arm a squeeze. "Now, let's get you back to your quarters. I'm sure you'll want to pack before we leave."

You sigh, but it's good-natured, and the dread, the nerves, are beginning to ebb. You can't help but think that maybe this is the opportunity you'd been looking for, a chance to prove yourself, and you aren't about to take it for granted.

Obi-Wan waits while you quickly throw a few essentials into a bag, and the two of you make your way to the landing platform. He explains on the way that there was a shuttle waiting to take you up to The Negotiator in orbit, and that from there, you would jump to hyperspace and make the journey to Felucia.

When you arrive at the platform, you see two ships waiting, and several more taking off into the sky. The air is filled with the noise of engines, and the smell of fuel, and the bustle of activity. It's a stark contrast to the silence of the Temple and the calmness of the evening. You can’t help but feel relieved, the sounds and the smells and the excitement a welcome change.

“Obi-Wan! Finally, we were starting to worry," Anakin shouts, and his voice echoes across the landing platform. His remaining troops are filing onto the transport ship, and he stands near the entrance, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression a mix of excitement and impatience. Anakin is never early, and you're sure he's been waiting here, his foot tapping, his gaze scanning the horizon for the two of you.

You can't hide the smile that spreads across your face at the sight of him, and you wave, a rush of affection coursing through you. You’re practically dragging Obi-Wan across the platform, eager to join him.

Anakin approaches, his strides long and purposeful, and the grin on his face is infectious as he meets you halfway. His eyes land on you, and they widen in surprise, the delight clear in his expression.

"Hey there, stranger," he greets you with a quick hug and a pat on the back. "You're looking better than the last time I saw you."

"I'm feeling better," you reply, and you mean it. "And thanks, I guess?"

He releases you, and his hand finds your shoulder. He looks you up and down, his gaze assessing, and you shift uncomfortably.

"No, really," he insists. "Last time, you looked... well, you know, like hell."

You sigh, and you can't help but roll your eyes. Trust Anakin to be blunt. "Yes, I know. But, it was a rough few days."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." His expression softens, and his hand falls to his side. "But, hey, glad to have you back."

You smile. "Glad to be back."

Anakin turns to Obi-Wan, and his expression shifts, the grin morphing into something smug, almost taunting. "It's about time you showed up, Master. We've got a schedule to keep, you know."

Obi-Wan sighs, and his shoulders slump. You can't help but snort, and Anakin smirks at the sight, pleased that his joke is working.

"So sorry to keep you waiting," Obi-Wan replies, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “I had to spring a certain someone from a month of incarceration in the Archives."

You scoff indignantly and cross your arms. "Incarceration is a strong word, Master Kenobi."

"It's accurate," he counters, the words pointed.

Anakin's smirk fades, and he looks between the two of you, his brows furrowing. "Wait, hold on, you've been stuck in the Archives this whole time? I thought you'd gotten assigned to some boring diplomatic mission or something."

You shrug, doing your best to seem nonchalant. "No, just a few weeks of sorting and cleaning and doing data entry."

"You're kidding."

"Not in the least," Obi-Wan confirms. "The Council was worried she was becoming a bit too impulsive."

 "And reckless, and brash," you add.

 "So they punished her, basically?" Anakin asks.

"Something like that."

"That's ridiculous," he scoffs. "What are you, a Padawan? They can't treat you like this."

"Apparently, they can," you sigh. "And, to be fair, they were right. I did almost get an innocent person killed."

"That's not the point, and you know it," he insists, his voice rising. "You did what you had to do, and the Council should be grateful for your service. They can't just lock you up for doing your job."

His words, his righteous indignation, warms your heart. It's comforting, knowing that you have someone who believes in you, and it helps to ease the lingering guilt.

"Well, it doesn't matter now," Obi-Wan interjects, and he gives you a meaningful glance, his gaze sharp. "She's back where she belongs, and we're all better for it."

You give him a small smile, and he returns it, the warmth filling the bond. You know what he's thinking, that he's worried about Anakin getting carried away, that he doesn't want the young Knight to take his frustrations out on the Council. That he’s close to following a similar path to you, and it’s one neither of you want him to tread. You've had the same concerns, and the fact that he shares them is comforting.

Anakin looks between the two of you, and he's clearly frustrated, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Yeah, well, it's not right. You should've been out in the field, helping us, not wasting away in the Archives."

Your hand finds his, and you squeeze, the touch gentle but firm. He glances at you, his brows still furrowed, and you shake your head.

"It's okay," you say, and the words are soft, meant only for him. "I'm just glad to be back now."

His scowl lessens, and he rolls his eyes. "Yeah, me too," he grumbles.

You squeeze his hand again, and you feel his tension easing, the anger giving way to relief.

Anakin glances at Obi-Wan and then back at you. He takes a breath, and the rest of his anger slips away. "Fine, fine. You're right. We've got a lot to catch up on, and it's not worth getting worked up over."

You can't help the laugh that escapes you, and you give his hand one last squeeze before letting go. Your eyes slide to Obi-Wan and back, and you smirk. "We most certainly do."

Anakin catches on quickly, and his eyes narrow, a mischievous glint appearing in them. Obi-Wan's gaze bounces between the two of you, his brows furrowing. He knows, from experience, that this means nothing good, and he crosses his arms, a silent warning.

"Now, now, no plotting against me," he warns. "We're supposed to be a united front."

"Of course," Anakin agrees, and his smile is anything but sincere. "Whatever you say, Master."

You try, and fail, to stifle the snort that escapes, and the sound draws a scowl from Obi-Wan.

"You two are terrible," he huffs. "Absolutely terrible."

The two of you exchange a conspiratorial glance, and the mirth bubbles up inside you, the excitement making your heart sing. You’re about to tease Obi-Wan further, but Anakin’s gaze shifts over your shoulder, and he raises his hand to cup his mouth

“Ahsoka! You’re late.”

You turn and see the young Togruta walking briskly the platform, a backpack slung over her shoulder. You haven't seen her since before the war broke out, and there's a maturity in her eyes that wasn't there before. At her heels is a clone trooper, his white armor decorated with a blue pauldron and kama, and his helmet tucked under his arm.

You can’t help but stare at the clone, your gaze moving up and down his body. There's something about him, a presence, that is achingly familiar. The hair on the back of your neck stands on end, and the sense of deja vu is so intense that you can't help but step forward toward him.

"I'm not late," Ahsoka says, her tone defensive as she jogs the last few meters. Her eyes widen when she sees you, and her lips form a small 'o' of surprise. "Master Anathorn, I didn't realize you'd be coming."

"The Council thought I needed some fresh air," you say, smiling. It falters when your eyes drift back to the clone trooper, the sense of unease growing. His face is blank, unreadable, but there's something in his eyes, a flash of recognition, of emotion.

He has a demeanor that feels oddly familiar, his signature in the Force one that's both warm and welcoming, yet strong and solid. All clones had a unique presence, their Force signatures as varied as their personalities, but there was something about this one that was different. Something that spoke to you, that tugged at the strings of your memory.

Your eyes narrow, the wheels turning in your head. Could it be…

No, it couldn't.

He was just a clone, a regular trooper, and there was no way this one could be the one. The chances were astronomical.

And yet...

“I almost forgot.” Anakin says your name and gestures to the clone. “This is Captain—“

The name is out of your mouth before you even register saying it, slipping past your lips with a certainty, an assurance, that comes from somewhere deep inside you.

“Rex.”

taglist: @baddest-batchers @lolwey @chocolatewastelandtriumph @hobbititties @mere-bear

@thegreatpipster @lordofthenerds97 @tentakelspektakel @notslaybabes @aynavaano

@ayyyy-le-simp @mali-777 @schrodingersraven @megmegalodondon @dangraccoon

@heavenseed76 @dreamie411 @sukithebean @bimboshaggy @bunny7567

@lostqueenofegypt @9902sgirl @jedi-dreea @salaminus @heidnspeak

@ghostymarni @gottalovehistory @mrcaptainrex @burningnerdchild @yoitsjay

@callsign-denmark @julli-bee @moonychicky

[imaginative-joy]

“I want adventure in the great wide galaxy! I want it more than I can tell…”

As much as Belle loves the stories told on the holocrons in the Jedi Archive she helps guard, what she really wants is a real Jedi adventure as told in the legends she knows so well. Her chance comes from a distress signal on a remote planet in the Outer Rim. Thankfully, she makes a droid friend, CHIP2-D2, who explains that the inhabitants of this planet are cursed…

Another redraw of an older piece! Jedi Belle and CHIP2-D2 were originally drawn back in 2015. Belle has always been the hardest Disney Princess for me to draw, so I took an extra long time studying model sheets and screenshots so I could get her just right. With the updated version, I wanted to add more embellishments to both Belle and Chip and include references to the movie with the rose and stained glass. I’m quite happy with the final result, but I must admit that I was getting tired of looking at this piece for so long 😅

(Prints available here!)

Merida/Prints Mulan/Prints Moana/Prints Raya/Prints Tiana

Closeups and original 2015 version below the cut!

[425599167]

Since Barriss is finally getting more attention, I want to advertise my series, because I think it includes many storylines Barriss fans want. Excessively thorough analysis of Barriss's motivations, reconciliation & romance with Ahsoka, countering the inquisitors, more interactions with supporting characters, and the most smartass Revan holocron I could write all building Barriss into the anti-imperial mastermind she deserves to be. The first and primary entry is The Erosion of the Spirit, but I try to make each accessible to new readers and Obsolete Products is the one I'm proudest of. That one's got Rex learning barrissoka is a thing and he is not happy about it.

Tales of the Empire took steps in the right direction but could only do so much in half an hour. If you want Barriss redemption, I crossed that threshold years ago and kept going. I did it. It's done. Here ya go.

[antianakin]

I saw a clip from TCW that supports your point about Anakin's training being poisonous to Ahsoka. It's the arc where she gets kidnapped by Trandoshans and meets the younglings also being held there; when she proposes they fight, she says, "My Master would never forgive me for running and hiding in a situation like this."

Like it's not, "My Master TAUGHT ME a different approach to situations like this." Or "I've learned how to fight enemies like this." Or even "My Master would WANT ME to fight."

Furthermore her tone wasn't lighthearted and jokey. So she genuinely seems to think that Anakin would (assuming she's at least being a little wry or hyperbolic) be genuinely annoyed with her for focusing on survival rather than taking the offensive. In general I tend to blame Ahsoka more than Anakin for her attitude (mainly because the narrative depicts her as being right) but I've got to say, that line does seem to indicate that he taught her a lot of weird things lol

Yeah, I've definitely noticed this moment and thought about it a little. In the context of the story and the narrative they present within the Padawan Lost arc, I feel like it's meant to be interpreted more as "My master wouldn't want me to give up hope of finding a way to escape because if you decide something can't be done then it's a self-fulfilling prophecy" rather than "My master would genuinely never forgive me if I did what was necessary for survival." That being said, the actual wording of the line is fascinating because it sends a really weird message when taken a little more literally.

While it's entirely possible Anakin has never once said anything like this to Ahsoka, it still tells us that THIS IS HOW AHSOKA SEES HIM. This is what she's picked up from Anakin's behavior, his teaching methods, etc. And this falls in line with the TOTJ episode where he takes her to do secret training that involves her getting shot at until she falls unconscious for an hour over and over and over again without rest or even medical attention in the name of teaching her how to "protect herself when he's not there." It's ruthless, it's merciless, and it's being excused away with this sort-of toxic attachment for her that Ahsoka, at her young and impressionable age, isn't quite picking up on which leads to her just absorbing that Anakin wouldn't approve of her doing what was necessary to survive if it meant running and hiding. She HAS to stand and fight or she's not good enough. It's better to die fighting than it is to live to fight another day, that's the message Ahsoka seems to be absorbing from Anakin, even if he doesn't always mean to teach it.

We even have instances where Anakin is trying to teach her the exact opposite of this earlier on. In the Ryloth arc, Ahsoka refuses to fall back when ordered and it has terrible consequences, something she has to learn from. In the Holocron Heist arc, Ahsoka refuses to pull back from an attack when ordered because she thinks she has an advantage that she doesn't realize is about to disappear and she gets assigned archive duty for her refusal to listen, something Anakin is upset about. So there's at LEAST two instances where Anakin explicitly wants Ahsoka to "run and hide" rather than stand and fight because it's the better strategy in the moment. It's also ANAKIN who is more insistent about leaving Ahsoka behind for the Citadel mission in order to protect her, too, so it's not like Anakin particularly WANTS Ahsoka to just go running headlong into danger all the time. Which means you could make the argument that Ahsoka is just projecting her own unwillingness to "run and hide" onto Anakin because it sounds better if she says it's her master who wouldn't want her to do this than it does to admit that SHE'S the one who thinks it's beneath her to run and hide.

There's also the comparison to the Geonosis arc where Ahsoka and Barriss get caught in the factory explosion and Ahsoka uses some mechanical tricks she picked up from Anakin to keep sending a signal, just trusting that Anakin will hear it and use it to come find her. Within that same episode, there's obviously the confrontations between Anakin and Luminara where we see Anakin getting BLINDINGLY upset with Luminara for even the implication of "leaving the padawans behind" (despite the fact that that's not what she's actually advocating). Ahsoka refuses to give up on the hope of being found and that faith is rewarded, but it's contrasted against Anakin's almost toxic refusal to even consider the idea that they MIGHT not find the padawans and he has to be ready for that possibility. The Padawan Lost arc has him facing that same possibility and this time, there's genuinely nothing he can do. He has no leads to follow, no signal Ahsoka can send that will reach him, and ultimately Plo has to come in to say that Anakin just needs to have faith that if he's taught Ahsoka well enough, she'll figure herself out and come home to them, and that's exactly what ends up happening.

So if you wanted to be really kind about this, you could say that Ahsoka is projecting some of her own stubbornness onto Anakin and that Anakin is learning his own lessons about trusting in Ahsoka's own abilities over the course of this season, culminating in the Padawan Lost arc. It's not meant to be that Ahsoka thinks Anakin will genuinely be upset with her for running and hiding but that Ahsoka doesn't actually LIKE running and hiding and her partnership with Anakin has allowed her the confidence to refuse to back down until she has absolutely no other choice.

I imagine that this, like in the TOTJ episode, is intended to be a good thing overall. Anakin might be pushing Ahsoka, but he is pushing her to be the kind of person who can survive things nobody else could. The other kids there are all Jedi trained, too, and they don't seem that much younger than Ahsoka herself, which indicates that Ahsoka has a leg up on them SPECIFICALLY due to her training with Anakin and that Jedi training alone isn't good enough. It's Ahsoka's connection to Anakin that makes her great. Which, you know, take that how you will, obviously. It's definitely something we know Filoni pulls on a LOT and is very important in how he chooses to write her.

If you wanted to be a little LESS kind in your interpretation, I do think it would be fair to say that Anakin's own temperament has perhaps... exacerbated the issue, that there COULD be things Anakin has done in his teaching that have led Ahsoka to believe he'd genuinely be disappointed in her if she didn't live up to his standards (again, TOTJ really highlights this aspect of their relationship), and that combined with her own stubbornness is causing her to say what she says in the Padawan Lost arc. If Anakin were able to send her a message, he MIGHT have actually told her to run and hide until he could find her, it seems pretty likely that that's what he'd do, but Ahsoka's interpretation of his behavior seems to be slightly different. So Ahsoka is someone who's very stubborn already before she meets Anakin, yes, but Anakin's way of teaching her makes her even WORSE about this rather than better because even though he does sometimes order her to retreat in battles, he's done other things that indicate to Ahsoka that he wouldn't accept this from her in other situations. That maybe the only reason he was upset in these other instances was because she didn't FOLLOW HIS ORDERS and in the absence of those orders, he expects her to fight as long and hard as she can instead of retreating.

You can of course continue to compare this to his line to her in the film where he says she'd never have made it as Obi-Wan's padawan but she MIGHT make it as his, indicating that she will always have to work for his respect and to earn her apprenticeship with him. I imagine that places some pressure on her as his student, she always has to be THE BEST, better than everyone else, or he might decide she's not worth it after all and decide to just drop her. It might not even be something she actively thinks or worries about, but just something that subconsciously sits with her all the time and invades their dynamic like a disease.

So yeah, I guess ultimately I think that this unwillingness to "run and hide" is a part of Ahsoka's personality from the beginning, I think that it would be very fair to assume that she HAS picked up on Anakin's disrespect for people who "give up" and that this has exacerbated her own stubbornness into something that could be considered arrogant and even potentially dangerous. If we take TOTJ into account, then it's something Anakin has pretty literally drilled into her rather than just something Ahsoka has picked up through his behavior and interactions with others.

And we can take this a step further and look at her behavior in the Ahsoka show and the way this dynamic is almost step for step repeated in Ahsoka's relationship with Sabine. Sabine has clearly picked up on Ahsoka being disappointed in her, that Ahsoka's willingness to train her can and will be taken away if Sabine doesn't act correctly, but that Ahsoka herself DOESN'T FOLLOW HER OWN ADVICE. So this leaves Sabine in a position where she clearly believes she has to work to earn Ahsoka's respect and training but she also knows Ahsoka doesn't even believe half of the things she tries to teach Sabine to do, so why bother following what Ahsoka says. This gives us a Sabine who is a complete and utter brat, whose worst tendencies towards stubbornness and selfishness are exacerbated instead of curbed, and who constantly feels like someone she should be able to completely rely on is always waiting for her to fail. Ahsoka herself doesn't like giving up and will always push a situation further than it needs to go in search of victory, but when Sabine does the same, Ahsoka condemns her for it. It's an immensely unhealthy dynamic and we know EXACTLY where she learned it from.

And while she claims she's going to "support" Sabine later on, she also says she's following in Anakin's own image here, that she's doing what Anakin did for her, which... I know what the show WANTS us to believe, but Anakin did NOT actually support her all the time and Ahsoka probably would've benefited from a master who was more willing to force her to face her own flaws and work on them rather than a master who just brushed aside her flaws so long as they didn't get in his way. Sabine isn't going to flourish under Anakin's type of "support" any more than Ahsoka did and this dynamic would just continue to be unhealthy because Ahsoka SHOULDN'T support Sabine in literally everything she ever does. Sabine SHOULD be told when she's made mistakes and be forced to acknowledge them and work to overcome them, otherwise she's just going to keep acting like a selfish asshole. Anakin passed down more of Palpatine's teachings to Ahsoka than he did the Jedi's, and we see that continuing with Ahsoka and Sabine. This isn't the "disaster lineage" as people like to call it, it's the insidious lineage. It's Sith training making its way insidiously into people who claim to be Jedi, infecting their every choice towards selfishness instead of compassion.

[clover-blossom]

ANIDALA FIC RECOMMENDATIONS- Part 1*

Realized I inadvertently left off several great fics. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Snowbaird has inspired me to revisit a favorite ship from my younger years. Inspired by @burntblueberrywaffles list, I put together one of my favorites. The vast majority of these are on ff.net BUT BUT BUT remember you can convert them here for download to your Kindle.

The Anakin Saga by geo3

A five part series published before all the prequels were released (so this is an OG). The first two are one shots. The last three are multi-chapter.

The Hour of Souls

The padawan and the Senator find that it is very difficult to be in love when everyone is watching and a shadowy figure is pulling strings....

Step into My Parlor

At the end of Episode II, why, oh why did they let Anakin travel back to Naboo with Padme? It turns out that a certain Dark Lord had something to do with it...

Children of Circumstance

A story about Anakin, his love and his path.

Winds of Change

Early days of the fall... Anakin's path after he is secretly married and returns to the Temple.

Ring of Fire

The final story in the Anakin Saga Series.

Living a Lie by Leah Naberrie

After the forbidden wedding, the reality of living a lie hits the Skywalkers. 

Slight of Hand and Twist of Fate by irnan

"I suppose we should just be grateful they're not planning to televise the investigations," Anakin grouses. "Hmm," Obi-Wan says, too busy playing with Leia to answer him

Purgatory by HelenT

As if the comment Obi-Wan had made to Luke about Anakin ‘dying’ when he became Darth Vader was literally true, a newly dead Vader wakes in a strange world—as a twenty-three year old again. Post ROTJ

Kratisto by Irnan

Collection of ficlets about Anakin Skywalker

Pulse by froovygirl

AU for ROTS. As Padme's life hangs in the balance on Mustafar, a stream of brilliant light causes Anakin to reconsider his choices.

Into the Archives by skygawker

After hearing the legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise from Palpatine, Anakin decides that his best chance to save Padme is to break into the restricted Holocron Vault of the Temple Archives to search for information about Plagueis. Predictably, all does not go according to plan. Revenge of the Sith AU.

No Real Affection  by Meredith Bronwen Mallory 

After the second attempt on Padme's life, the young senator and Anakin find themselves getting to know each other again.

Underneath by CrazyAni

After feroscious duel on Mustafar, ObiWan Kenobi and Darth Vader are given a chance to go back and save Anakin. The Force sends them back to the past, but they wake up in each other's bodies...RotS AU*

*unfinished but worth a read

Part 2

[smeraldo-heart]

Young Cal absolutely KILLS me.

He was with Master Tapal when the older spoke to Anakin, shortly after the latter became a Knight.

He is described as precocious 😭 because of how he rarely struggled, but he was also kind and generous. He couldn’t deal with failure and that was the whole reason why he was assigned to Master Tapal.

He froze when he saw a droideka out on the battlefield and his Master had to save him.

He was close with his clones, high-fived them and even had a rematch planned with one of them (which implied he regularly played games with them).

Master Tapal made him run drills of escaping through the maintenance shafts.

He trusted his Master until the end.

We need more fun so I’ve got little headcanons for him:

He didn’t like tea until Master Tapal got him drinking it. He more so enjoyed the comfort it brought and the memories of his Master than the actual experience but he still liked experimenting with the different flavours. His favourite is one of Master Tapal’s blends from Lasan.

This is precisely why he doesn’t like tea now. It reminds him of too much, but he’ll drink it for Greez if the other wants him to. The comfort the Latero brings reminds Cal of something he used to have.

He kept a collection of trinkets with good echoes around his room. One of them is the holocron he keeps near his bed.

His blanket was a lifeday gift from the battalion, handmade.

He was still scared of the dark even one year into his apprenticeship. A mission gone wrong where he was stranded on an unsafe ship and had to use the dark to hide in quickly cured him of this though.

He still had a soft toy to sleep with, even just before order 66. He often hid it in a secret compartment in his room because he felt like he should be over that attachment, but later future Cal still wishes he had it to bring him comfort.

He particularly liked adding beads and strings he found on missions to his braid, decorating it not only with accomplishments but also echoes from jobs well done.

He was incredibly flexible and also incredibly energetic. It was tough to get him to sit still, let alone not to race off and start climbing everything he saw. Master Tapal had to teach him not to run off very quickly into their apprenticeship, but he never quite cured him of the latter habit.

Another habit Cal was never cured of was his curiosity, leading him to sneak around exploring places a lot and touching echoes he really shouldn’t have.

He really didn’t like needles or medbays. He would never go near either on his apprenticeship, but this aversion was quickly cured on the uncaring planet Bracca.

He actually had to be told by Master Tapal to stop giving everything he owned as gifts to everyone on board since his quarters were becoming quite bare. Cal did so anyways because he liked giving gifts and making others happy.

He let the clones paint his face in the battalion’s colours once and refused to wash it off for hours.

He had to get a rabies shot one time because he insisted on helping an animal that ended up biting him. He doesn’t regret it for a second though.

He made a little scrapbook of all the clones, what their Force signatures looked like and their names so that he could remember who was who even with the helmets on. He knew exactly who shot at him and who died by his Master’s hands after order 66.

Idk man.. this guy. This tiny little guy. He makes me very sad.

Psst!! HEY! If you want more of this kind of mushy stuff about Padawan Cal, maybe you should check out my fanfic… it’s literally the escapades of Cal and his clones except with a little Diathim twist..

[vodika-vibes]

Since Fives is a really good investigator (evident with him finding about Order 66), can I request an x reader fic where he investigates a string of heists involving Jedi artefacts committed by the reader, who is a flirty master thief, and he tries to pursue her across Coruscant to bring her to justice?

Knew You Were Trouble

Summary: When ancient artifacts start vanishing from the Jedi Temple, stolen from right under the noses of both the archivists and the Jedi Guardians, Fives decides to investigate.

Pairing: Pre ARC Trooper Fives x Thief F!Reader

Word Count: 2484

Warnings: Reader is described as having a feminine body, and wearing makeup. Reader is given the codename Shadow for ease.

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: Sorry that this took so long! I've had it sitting open in a Doc for days, but I finally got an idea! Reader's outfit is similar to this outfit from Persona 5 Royal. Though without the weapons. There may be a part two of this, if I ever get the motivation.

“General Nu-”

“Master,” The older woman corrects, as she glances at Fives out of the corner of her eye, and then turns back to her work, “What can I help you with, Corporal?”

“I think a holocron is missing.” Fives replies as he looks at the open spot on the shelf. There’s some discoloration, as though something had been sitting there for a long time.

The older woman hurries over and glances at the spot, a severe frown on her lips. She stares at the spot for a moment, and then releases a heavy sigh. “Again?”

“Ma’am?”

Jocasta Nu shoots him a severe look, and Fives fights the urge to quail under her glare, “How are you at investigations, Corporal?”

“...decent enough, I suppose.”

“Good, follow me.” The older woman leads him through the archives until she reaches her desk, and then she turns a monitor towards him, and she navigates to a file of saved videos, “Watch. This was recorded 5 months ago.”

Fives focuses on the screen.

It’s security footage of the Archives, and he watches as someone, a woman based on her body shape, slips in a window.

She’s dressed oddly, almost in a leotard, with thigh high boots, a long overcoat, and a sharp looking domino mask covering the upper part of her face hiding her features from the camera.

She locks her gaze on the camera and presses a finger against her lips, as if shushing someone, and the camera feed goes fuzzy.

“This next one was taken three weeks after that.”

The monitor flickers, and then there’s an image of the same woman opening one of the vaults before the feed cuts out.

“And last night.”

The monitor changes one more time, and the exact same person, dressed exactly the same, is shown blatantly taking a holocron from the shelf, before she, again, disconnects the cameras.

Fives pulls away from the monitor and focuses his gaze on General Nu, “The same person has broken in three times-”

“She’s broken in a grand total of a dozen times…we’ve only caught her on camera thrice.” General Nu corrects.

“...and the Temple Guard haven’t done anything?”

“They are of the opinion that she doesn’t exist.” The older woman scowls, “Honestly, I don’t even know why she’s targeting us. It’s not like we keep gems on hand.”

“You keep knowledge on hand though. And to some people, that’s worth more than all the gems in the galaxy.” Fives points out.

The woman bristles and then her shoulders slump, “Yes. I know. I want you to try and find her and bring her to justice.”

Fives exhales through his teeth, “With all due respect, ma’am. I’m due to ship out with the 501st tomorrow-”

“I’ll handle it. Will you help?”

Nervously Fives rubs the back of his neck, and then he sighs, “Yeah, alright. Assuming you can get permission, I’ll help. Do you have any evidence for me to go on?”

Master Nu smiles, it’s a sharp little thing and for a moment Fives wonders why she isn’t in charge of the war effort. “The holocron she stole has a tracking chip inside it. And, since holocrons can only be opened by force sensitives, it means she couldn’t have removed it.”

“Why didn’t you tell the Temple Guard about it?”

“Because, again, they don’t believe she actually exists.” General Nu presses a small datapad into his hand, “Here, this is what you need to track the holocron.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll let you know what the Council says about your deployment.”

“Thanks for that too,” Fives replies as he powers the device on and waits for it to scan for the tracking fob that it’s keyed to. As soon as the screen lights up, he grabs his helmet and pulls it on and leaves the archives.

The fob is located in a warehouse only a short speeder ride away from the temple. 

And a quick search of the net tells him that the Warehouse is supposed to be abandoned. A deeper search of the net tells him that the warehouse was slated for demolition several years ago, but it just never happened.

“We have arrived at your destination.” The taxi droid chirps, “Thank you for your patronage.” Fives steps out of the speeder and glances at the datapad one more time.

“Seven warehouses,” He murmurs, zooming in a little bit, “I’m looking for building A-2478/23.” The speeder zips off while he’s not paying attention to it, not that he minds, really.

Fives wasn’t planning on returning to the temple right away anyway.

He glances at the datapad one more time, and then looks up and around. The buildings have to be labeled, right?

Ah! There, the closest building, is A-2475/23.

So odds are on the left side and evens would be on the right, assuming that this place is designed with any sort of logic. He jogs over to the first building on the right until he’s able to see the white letters on the side of the building.

A-2474/23.

So two down then.

The warehouse he’s looking for is a little more rundown than the other ones. Boarded up windows, rust replacing the green paint in places, leaking pipes…

And yet-

Fives moves to where the door is located, his eyes narrowing. The lights over the door are new. The broken windows are broken in such a way that it looks intentional. The doorknob on the door is also new, all of the rust is painted on.

He walks over to a rusty patch and he tugs off his glove to touch the rust with his bare fingers. It’s not real. 

Someone has gone to great lengths to make this place look like it’s been condemned. 

He walks over to the door and lightly touches the doorknob. How long has it been since he’s seen a building using a door like this, rather than the more mechanized ones that are seen everywhere.

Clever.

If he wasn’t looking for something out of place, he’d likely think that this building was ancient and wouldn’t give it a second thought.

Luckily, he’s smarter than the average bear, so to speak.

He pulls his hand away from the doorknob and pulls his glove back on. There’s no way he’s going through the front door. That’s just asking for trouble. 

He circles the warehouse, thoughtfully. Considering all of his options.

Opening the bay doors isn’t an option, he’d never get them open on his own from the outside. The ground floor windows are also out, anyone inside would see him immediately.

His gaze lands on the fire escape. Like the rest of the building, the ladder doesn’t look like it would carry the weight of a small child, let alone a man full grown. 

However, Fives has already seen evidence of someone going out of their way to try and make this place look more dangerous than it is. So he walks over to the ladder and jumps up to grab the bottom most rung.

Fives hangs there for a moment, waiting, and when the fire escape doesn’t dissolve under his weight, or even shake, he feels comfortable hoisting himself up to the fire door.

The door looks rusted beyond belief, and Fives is sure that it’s all fake rust. But he’s not so stupid to try and touch the door. Fire doors are notoriously sensitive, he remembers that from ARC Training.

So he ignores the door, and instead jumps up to grab the ledge of the roof, and he pulls himself up to the ledge.

A quick survey tells him that there aren’t any sensors on the roof, and he huffs out a quiet laugh, “You’d think that a thief would put sensors on the roof.” He mumbles to himself as he steps onto the gravel roof.

A second quick glance around leads Fives to side-step the roof access door, a door that he’s sure is rigged to an alarm, to crouch next to a window. And this, right here, is all of the proof that he needs that everything about the building is a facade. 

These windows are brand new, and made from blaster proof material. A material that Fives knows was only invented in the last few years.

He can’t see through the windows, not well at least, but he is able to see that there isn’t any movement on the upper walkways. So carefully, very carefully, making sure that none of the windows are wired, he opens one.

One final check that he’s not going to land on anyone, Fives drops into the warehouse, making sure that the window is closed behind him.

Silently he moves from the wall to peer down into the main part of the warehouse. 

There, sitting on a table, is the holocron that was missing. Well, presumably. There are a lot of holocrons on the table. 

On another table are some statues. Some books actually made of flimsy are lined up on another table.

There’s an entire shelf filled with weapons of all types.

And there, pacing between the tables, is a Devaronian man. Fives isn’t able to see the look on his face, and, even more clearly, he’s not the actual thief.

A contractor, perhaps?

Maybe the thief was hired by him to acquire all of these things…though Fives can’t think of a reason why. There’s nothing in common between any of these items that he can see, save for the fact that they’re old.

He scans the warehouse one more time, and then movement catches his eye.

There, perched on a wooden crate, is the thief.

Without her mask.

Fives’ immediate thought was that someone as pretty as her should probably be making a living as a model or an actress or something, not living as a master thief. His second thought is that she’s far too young to have stolen all of the things in the warehouse.

“My darling Shadow,” The man is speaking to Shadow, the thief, and Fives pulls himself out of his thoughts, “You’re so talented.”

“Yes,” She agrees, her voice light, “I am.”

“You’re almost as good as your father.” He continues.

“My father never managed to get into the Jedi Temple. I managed it 12 times in the last year.” Shadow replies, sounding bored out of her mind as she examines her gloves, “But please, do continue telling me how talented my father was.”

Her contractor opens his mouth to say something, and then hesitates, “My dear,” he finally says, condescendingly, “No one is as good as you think you are.”

The young woman lifts her head to say something, and then she pauses, her gaze sliding to the upper walkways. Her gaze locks onto his face, and she smiles, slow and pretty. “We have company.”

The Devaronian jerks, “What? Where!?” He spins around and looks up, and Fives, knowing that he’s been busted, moves a little more into the light. “Kriff! It’s the GAR!” The man yelps, before he shoves all of the holocrons into a bag and sprints away.

Shadow, however, doesn’t bother to run. Instead, she smoothly gets to her feet and pulls her mask on. “‘Won’t you step into my parlor?’ said the spider to the fly?” She coos.

It’s a trap. It’s clearly a trap.

But Fives can’t help but smirk, as he leans over the railing, “Does that make you the spider in this scenario, Miss Shadow?”

“Why don’t you come down and find out, little soldier boy.”

He should go after the contractor. He should. That would be the smart thing to do.

But no one’s ever accused him of being smart.

So Fives grips the railing, and he jumps over the edge.

A quick activation of his jetpack allows him to land lightly on his feet only a few feet away from her. “I’ve come to reclaim the items you took from the Jedi temple.” Fives announces.

Her red painted lips turn up, “Have you? How do you intend to do that?”

“I already caught you.” Fives points out.

She laughs, it’s a pretty sound, “Sweetheart, I haven’t been caught.”

“Yet.”

“Oh, you do think highly of yourself, don’t you?” She murmurs. Her eyes, the only part of her upper face not hidden by her mask, sweep down his body, “Of course, I suppose you have every reason to.”

“You could make this easy on both of us and just turn yourself in.”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“You clearly recognize that I’m an ARC Trooper.”

Her smile widens, “The best of the GAR…on the battlefield. And this, darling, is hardly a battlefield.”

Fives sighs, “You’re going to make me catch you, aren’t you?”

She scans him once more, “Well, I’m always happy to submit to a man in armor-” Fives inhales sharply, and he can feel his face heating under his helmet, “But you haven’t made me submit yet.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“So you’re going to let me go? How nice of you~”

“I didn’t say that.”

Her smile doesn’t waver as she moves. Fives curses, she’s faster than she looks, especially for someone wearing heels that high.

Then she’s right in his space. His helmet lifts, just a little, and warm lips press against his jaw. “Catch me if you can, handsome.” Then she’s gone, balanced on the rafters of the warehouse and smiling down at him, “I’ll let you have the stuff in the warehouse, as a treat.”

It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts, “Let?” He rasps.

Her smile is pretty, “Let. After all, you found me didn’t you. Think of it as…incentive to keep looking for me.”

“If everything is here, then why would I do that?”

She produces a datacron from under her jacket, “I like information, sweetheart. And so, over the last dozen visits to the temple, I made copies of every bit of information that I could. And I have it right here.”

Kriff.

Double kriff.

If that information gets out-

There’s a flash of pink as she licks her lower lip, “Are you motivated yet?”

“Well, I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?” Fives’ jaw clenches, “I am going to catch you.”

“I look forward to it, handsome.” And then she really is gone, out the same window that he entered through.

Slowly, shakily, Fives comms General Nu, “I found…a lot. But the thief got away.” He says as soon as she answers.

“How much is a lot?”

Fives looks around the massive warehouse filled with stolen objects, “A whole warehouse full.” He pauses, “There’s more, too.”

“Tell me when I arrive. You and your…twin…have officially been transferred to me.” General Nu says, “I hope he’s as good an investigator as you.”

The comm cuts off and Fives looks around with a sigh. Well, he never really wanted to fight in a war anyway.

[jedi-order-apologist]

A Small Piece to Pass On

Obi-Wan keeps a journal, and hopes that he will not be the only one to read it. Written for Fandom Empire Prompt Tables 2024 - Prompt: "to write" and StarWars100 - Prompt: "Book"

Read on AO3

Writing by hand was not quite a lost art. On Coruscant, there wasn’t much use for it, but a Jedi’s duties took them far and wide, to many planets with many customs, so it was a skill they all learned and practiced.

Obi-Wan had never imagined the extent that he would end up using it, however. Certainly, a holocron would have suited his purposes better in many ways. But a mad hermit’s journal might be overlooked. A holocron might too, but not by the more dangerous agents of the Empire.

So he wrote.

He wrote of his day, of the things he was experiencing on Tatooine. He wrote of the people he saw and spoke to – fewer in number than he was once accustomed to, but no less in character. He wrote of his hopes for the future, for the days when the Empire would be a distant memory.

But above all else, he wrote of the Jedi. He wrote everything he could think of, from their tenets that he could recite from heart, to in-depth training routines, to anecdotes from his own childhood, to descriptions of the Archives or the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He keenly felt his lack of ability to encompass it all, how small a part of his people he could capture in this little book. He could describe everything he remembered, but knew that words could never compare to living it. And there was so much that he didn’t know, or only knew in passing, that he couldn’t hope to even begin to describe.

But something was better than nothing, and there were so few Jedi left that if anything of their history was to survive, Obi-Wan had to write.

And trust that one day, Luke, and other Jedi to come, would read it.

[archeo-starwars]

You wouldn't happen to have an extensive layout dissection of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Or even a list of all notable and obscure sections of the Jedi Temple? OR or even labelled areas that are public and reserved for only temple residents. Both from canon and legends, please and thank you!!!

The best I managed to find comes from Star Wars Complete Locations - you may check out the whole archived version here. The “zoom in” option is pretty good for reading details. Below the pages (I suppose the best is to open them in new tab for better reading):

As for the list of locations, I recommend wookiepedia's list. Plenty of data, both for Legends and New Canon.

Additional sources worth to check out:

Jedi Temple Locations & Jedi Temple History - both published as official material on star wars.com in regard to prequels and New Canon sources. Pictures and references to various places inside Temple.

Star Wars.com's The Clone Wars episode guide + videoclips from the series, like

A) Jedi Archives Tour (the entrance to one of the most restricted areas of the temple: The Holocron Vault).

B) Layout of Jedi Temple Library (source)

C) Jedi Temple funeral room + environment illustration by Tara Rueping (source)

Old Data Bank for Jedi Temple

HoloNews mentioning "a mob of 20 university students attempted to infiltrate the Jedi Temple" and "managing to get as far as the Second Atrium Lobby"

Star Wars Battlefront (2) game wiki provides some map and location description

and if you have time (and patience) you can watch gameplay from 501st Legion's mission in Jedi Temple for reference, like this one

The wookiepedia's articles should give enough good idea of the rooms, their location and functions, but I'm adding a few source pages:

STAR WARS: FACT FILES #36 provides a lot informations what and where was inside the Temple and some general data about visitors, security, Grand Balcony, Grand Corridor & Towers. Not all is super specific, but worth checking out for sure.

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions this:

and for Jedi Temple entry:

As for the named locations that are public or reserved for only temple residents, there is definitely a division like that, however I'm not sure if this issue was very well explained. The source gives us some ideas, like for example, Jedi Archives have data accessible only for Jedi with rank of Master or higher (thus most likely separated areas to study). At the same time, Fact Files #25 says that Jedi Archives offers an "excellent resources to researchers, including star-map hologram consoles", but also an access to entire scientific and historical knowledge of the Republic

so non-Jedi were allowed to use Jedi Library/Archives for their own research and work-related needs. We also must remember that the Jedi Order had various scientific branches, including archaeology, exploring unknown regions, and medicine, so logically thinking Jedi worked with other, non-Jedi specialists of many fields.

We also know from various sources, that politicians and important guests were invited for various occasions. We could see in Republic comics series that Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and senator Ask Aak were allowed to listen to Jedi reporting before High Council about his last battle

or attending Jedi Funeral like Duchess Satine and Padme Amidala did for the (fake) Obi-Wan's one or just visiting as a friend/comrade-in-arm

I would need to make more research about this issue as there is plenty tie-in material to Jedi Temple on Coruscant that would take a lot time to study, but at this moment, I think the best is assume how far a non-Jedi may walk into Temple will depend greatly who is that person and what is nature of their business with Jedi.

At the same time, Purge: Seconds to Die has this line "Clone Troopers? This deep in the Temple? Not permitted."

The Jedi was in Archives herself, so it is worth to take into account that clones could have more limited access to Temple than the average guest before war did. At the same time, clone troopers could make a report before Yoda and Mace Windu/High Council, as was presented by Star Wars Tales (Honor Bound):

so it is not like they were outright forbidden to enter the temple either.

Hope it will help!

[archivyrep]

Madame Nu, the stereotypical archivist of the Jedi Temple in the "Clone Wars" animation [Part 1]

Another episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars that mentions the archives, although Madame Nu is not mentioned, with this episode (Season 1, episode 6, titled "Downfall of a Droid"), with the characters grumbling about archives maps, basically saying archives are inadequate. The above scene is the most prominent one in this episode. What is with these episode writers, this one being George Krstic, and their annoyance/confusion over archives?

This post is a continuation from my last post on Star Wars Episode II, but it specifically focuses on Madame Nu, the archivist of the Jedi Temple, first appearing in the aforementioned film. While this archivist appears in varied comics and books, some of which constitute the Star Wars Expanded Universe and others which are cannon, those are not as publicly accessible, so I only focus on her role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series which has since come and past. [1] While I may have overstated it a bit on Instagram when I called her "more badass in the comics and animated series than Star Wars Episode 2," noting that she is "the head (and lone?) archivist of the Jedi Archives in the Star Wars universe defend[ing]...the archives with a lightsaber," this post is worth doing as it's still about perceptions of archivists in popular culture. In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, Madame Nu (voiced by Flo DiRe), is featured in four episodes: Holocron Heist (season 2, episode 1), Lightsaber Lost (season 2, episode 11), Assassin (season 3, episode 7), and The Lost One (season 6, episode 10). [2] This post will look at all four of these episodes, connecting them with archival concepts and related other thoughts.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally posted on Aug. 3, 2020.

Looking at "Holocron Heist"

In this episode, the plot extensively revolves around the Jedi archives. It begins with Ahsoka Tano, Anakin's apprentice reassigned to "archives security" after her actions in Felucia where she disobeyed her master, Anakin, and almost got herself killed on the battlefield:

Later in the episode, Ahsoka comes to the archives with Anakin for her assignment on archives security:

And being a good archivist, Madame Nu is glad to meet Ahsoka:

Madame Nu tells of the wonders of the Jedi archives, with, so far, no confusion of "archives" and "libraries" as some often do:

What Nu says about archives are as relevant in this plot as it is the reality:

Even the theme of archival access comes up, with certain areas that not even Madame Nu, the lone arranger of this archives can go:

However, soon, the writing of the episode, which was by a well-known writer of "animation...live drama TV...comics...video games...and creator of...original characters and comics series" named Paul Dini, gets sloppy. The plot of the episode is simple: there is a plan of bounty hunter Cad Bane is to steal a holocron. But for this to work he needs someone inside the archives. However, instead of calling it an archives, Bane refers to it as a "Jedi library," which is only half accurate as it is an archives with a library within it:

To explain it more, an archives is, to quote from the SAA, a place where records which were created "in the course of everyday life" by individuals, "organizations, and governments...about their activities," whether personal or unplanned, are kept, with those whom "assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to these records" called archivists. Even so, one could say that the Jedi archives constitutes a library if the latter is defined as a place "of information...offering people free access to a wealth of information that they often can't find elsewhere, whether online, in print or in person." But there's more, as I'll explain later in this post.

In this episode, the "changerling" has a goal once she is inside the Jedi archives: take the appearance of a Jedi

Again, the words "archives" and "library" are used interchangeably, when they should not be, showing Fini's lack of understanding of the difference between these concepts, which is broadly the case. I remember seeing recently, on Twitter, a discussion among archivists with some admitting they call themselves librarians because people don't understand what archivists are...which is sad.

Moving on, in this episode Ahsoka is a friendly security guard but also is the face of the archives, welcoming to visitors, which is not appreciated by the "changerling"...who could have actually taken her shape if she wanted, but is instead a jerk, which obviously sets off alarm bells:

Soon enough, the changerling sits down at a table to help Bane and his robot assistant to steal the holocron, with the setting reminding me a bit of the Library of Congress in a sense. Now, it seems laughable that a Jedi could turn off security grids, disable parts of the temple, and such just from sitting at a chair. That doesn't seem right.

Soon enough, the "changerling" knocks out the archivist and takes her form confidently, although again she is portrayed as a "librarian," falling into the typical stereotype as is often the case in such media:

The changerling tells Bane this, embodying the obvious stereotype of an old, wise woman in this position, which is often attributed to librarians. Again, Fini should have written this to say "change of plans, I'm the archivist now" rather than using the word librarian:

Ahsoka, thanks to a tip from Yoda, knows that the "changerling" has taken Nu's form…but Ahsoka hilariously is a better fighter. Fighting commences in the stacks, with strangely no damage to any of the records or surroundings:

Madame Nu recovers, with Ahsoka calling her a librarian as well, showing again the error of Fini in not understanding the difference between archivists and librarians, a clear ignorance he could have easily remedied!

Again, quoting from the SAA, they address this exact point, saying that while "archivists are sometimes confused with other closely related professionals, such as librarians…Although some work is related, distinct differences exist in the work of the archivist." They differentiate between librarians and archivists by noting that while both professionals "collect, preserve, and make accessible materials for research," they differ "significantly in the way they arrange, describe, and use the materials in their collections." Specifically, they note that "materials in archival collections are unique and often irreplaceable, whereas libraries can usually obtain new copies of worn-out or lost books." In the case of the Jedi archives, the materials are undoubtedly unique and probably not replaceable, meaning that Madame Nu should be called "Madame archivist" rather than "Madame librarian"!

The episode ends with the theft of the holocron by bounty hunter Cade Bane a success and a parting shot showing Anakin and Ahsoka walking back through the Jedi archives, a nice ending shot:

All in all, while this episode had its positives, I give it a major thumbs down for equating archives with libraries, with no distinction between them, which is a real shame for the over 2.5 million people who watched this episode, the premiere of Season 2 of this animated series.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[ladybird-with-a-pen]

Guys I’m losing my mind.

I’m trying to find this Star Wars fanfic that deals with Luke Skywalker trying to rebuild the Jedi order. It’s short and obscure as heck. He find a holocron and a journal left behind by a padawan and the overall theme is the loss of Jedi culture.

It’s on archive of our own and if anyone has an idea of what it is named or where to find it, I would be greatly appreciative.

[kanerallels]

Why yes, this fic is still begin written and updated! Just, you know, really really slowly. I'm getting there, though, as is proved with this new chapter! Which I'm posting for day 15 of @monthly-challenge's Magical March, prompt "wish". First lines under the cut!

Taglist: @accidental-spice @laughingphoenixleader @seleneisrising @jedi-nurse @selfish-giant (DM me if you want to be added or removed from the tag list!)

“What do I want?” Ezra repeated.

“Yeah,” Kanan said. “You’ve still got two wishes left, so what are you gonna use them on?”

Ezra took a sip of his drink. It was sweet and creamy and warm, and he grinned. “This is good. And it’s three wishes, not two.”

“No, you made a wish to get us out of the cave,” Kanan reminded him.

Lifting an eyebrow, Ezra said, “Did I, though?”

Kanan narrowed his eyes as Ezra took another drink from his mug, unable to hold back a grin. “What are you talking about?”

“You said that to make a wish, I had to be holding the holocron and say, “I wish”,” Ezra pointed out. “Well, I said “I wish”, but I wasn’t holding the holocron. It was floating near you— just ask Ahsoka and Jacen.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Ahsoka said, “He’s right. I do remember that.”

Chomping into a slice of meiloorun, Jacen nodded and mumbled something that was incomprehensible.

“Wha— that’s not how it works!” Kanan sputtered. “You can’t just con your way into getting more wishes, that’s against the rules!”

Shrugging, Ezra said, “Hey, don’t look at me. You’re the one who granted the wish— or didn’t, I guess.”

[transitranger327]

It’s Not Enough to Feel the Lack

Sapphic Ahsoka Tano Week, Day 6: Rarepairs

Well folks, have I got a rarepair for y’all: Ahsoka Tano/Transfem Kanan Jarrus. This little canon divergence takes place just after Jarrus runs away from the Bad Batch, and just before Ahsoka goes to Padmé’s funeral. The full fic is below the cut, along with some other notes

“Run, Caleb!”

That’s the last thing she said to me. I hate that it’s the last thing she said to me.

But I did what she said. I ran. I ran from the clones. I ran until I found a city. I ran until I found a ship. I ran with the ship, chasing after the emergency beacon…but it was a trap. Now I’m sitting here, cowering in a corner of the Coruscant system, hoping to the Force that I’m not spotted. 

And I don’t know what to do besides run. 

The holocron she had given me wouldn’t open anymore. All my friends were Jedi that are probably dead, or clones that want to kill me. Who do I run to?

Wait, no! Not all! Ahsoka isn’t a Jedi anymore, I bet she can help me! 

I mean, she wasn’t exactly a friend, but we knew each other from around the temple, and she did help with my remote training. So I set my comlink to scan for her, and managed to find a signal. 

Come in, Ahsoka Tano? This is Caleb Dume. I know you probably don’t remember me, but you helped with my remote training at the temple a few years ago.  I read you, Caleb, and of course I remember you. I assume your master is gone too? Yeah…uh…I need your help Can you get to these coordinates?

A few galactic coordinates popped up on my comlink screen. Somewhere in the Chommell sector, by the looks of it. I checked the ship’s fuel gauge, should be in range. “Yeah, I can make it.”

She radioed back, “Great. Oh, and destroy your Jedi comlink. It’s too easy to track.” Then the channel went silent. 

That scrap of peace was enough. I reached out to the holocron, and it finally opened. I transferred all of my holographic possessions to it, including Master Kenobi’s warning. Then I melted the comlink with my lightsaber. 

—

The coordinates Tano had sent me were for a planet, one that the navicomputer called Karlinus. With nothing more specific included in Tano’s message, I set a course for the largest city. Or, at least, just outside it. Underneath that train viaduct should be a safe spot to stow the ship until I need to leave. 

After an hour of walking underneath the viaduct plus another walking the streets, I found myself outside the main train station. A hooded figure smiled at me from across the plaza, sitting at a bistro table, sipping a cup of caf. Taking a seat myself, I sighed, “boy am I glad to see you.”

Ahsoka chuckled, “You know Dume, you didn’t have to walk all the way here. Most trains here will pick up people who flag them down.” She turned to a waiter who had just approached, “Samé, can you get my friend here a cup of caf? Black and sweet, right?”

I was startled she remembered what I liked, “yeah, that’s right. Could I also get some water?” After the waiter acknowledged the order and returned inside, I asked Ahsoka, “how can you be so calm right now, being this exposed?” I lowered my voice, “we’re fugitives.”

After a deep breath, she replied, “we’re on an agricultural world. The work here is mostly seasonal, so newcomers aren’t treated with any suspicion. The beloved senator has just died, so the dark hooded cloaks are appropriate mourning attire.” Her guarded feelings were starting to seep thru her words. “Caleb, the way we survive is by being smart, and by acting like we belong.” 

My name was a gut punch. It hadn’t felt right recently, but now it was just wrong. “Can you not call me that?” I worried that was too much. “I mean, I don’t want to use a name that’s easily searchable.” Kriff, I backed too much off the throttle. 

Despite a knowing eyebrow raise, she simply responded, “Of course. Do you have a preferred cover?” 

“Jarrus, I think.” I’m not sure where I’d heard the name before, but I liked it. It was an impulse I had tried to tamp down, but there was now an excuse to use a new name. But now I felt too exposed, so I tried to change the subject. “So, why meet here?”

“I met the late senator a few times,” she said, hiding the full truth significantly better than I did, “the funeral is tomorrow, and I wanted to pay my respects.” After sipping her cream caf, she continued, “and since I left, I’ve really started to appreciate the worlds I visit more. The sense of place here is very different, a whole world dedicated to cultivating life.”

Samé appeared, bearing a mug of caf and a tall cup of water. After thanking them and taking a swig of each, I interrogated Ahsoka, “so that’s it, you’re just enjoying life?” There was too much pain in my voice, but I had stopped caring by now. 

“Jarrus, you don’t understand. People are still very much interested in me.” For the first time during our whole conversation, she looked directly into my eyes. “I want to remind you that there is still life out there to live. We have to honor the dead by continuing to live.” She took a deep breath, then looked back out into the plaza. “I figured we could get set up with some new…equipment before we start our new work. And this is definitely a good place to acquire it.”

The caf’s effects were starting to sink in, and I began to see a bigger picture. Ahsoka was thinking three steps ahead; I was still looking for my footing. I sat in silence, continuing to drink, wishing I could start thinking like her. 

“So how does it feel?” 

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run and never stop. But all I could muster was, “it’s just nothing. Empty, where something should exist.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Something should exist and it doesn’t. Nothing good will replace it.”

—

After finishing our caf, stopping by an outfitter for backpacks and work clothes, Ahsoka led the way into a small electronics shop in a back alley. It was overflowing with an odd assortment of equipment, from complex droid parts to individual circuits to finished gadgets. There were very few pathways amongst the menagerie of metal, but Ahsoka managed to gracefully navigate it with ease to the back counter. A middle-aged Naboo sat behind it, tinkering with a comm receiver. Zhe gave us a quick look-over, assessing what kind of clients we would be. Ahsoka’s direct approach with my unfocused browsing must’ve tipped zher off that we were out of the ordinary, because zhe asked, “How’s the plasma in the palace?” 

“Fluvial, as always.” Ahsoka knew the magic words, so I let her do the talking. “We’re friends of Quarsh.”

“Great to hear, how much assistance do you need?” I sensed more code layers in the question, as if only one of zher tests had been passed.

“Only a glitter-lit-ful.” The tension released, the song and dance over. Ahsoka continued, “our comlinks were destroyed on our assignment. My partner is worse at flying speeders than they let on.” 

I thought about protesting, but decided she was better at fabricating a cover story. The shopkeeper opened a drawer that had previously been a seamless part of the wall. It was just as cluttered as the rest of the shop, but zhe extracted two devices and placed them on the counter. “Two encrypted comlinks, perfect for Queen’s Agents such as yourselves.” They were truly beautiful, slightly larger than the Jedi versions, made of what appeared to be wood and trimmed with chrome. We picked them up and slipped them in our pockets. 

“Thank you for the assistance, Solder.”

“As always, Montrals.”

—

As we stepped off the train, I was struck by how little the people around us had interfered with what we were doing. Either they genuinely had no interest in killing us, or Ahsoka was setting me up. The latter was too terrifying to think about, so I tried to put it out of my mind. “So…do you want to tell me what happened to you?”

Ahsoka took a deep breath. “After I left the Order, I got involved with the grey market. I discovered Darth Maul had managed to organize several of the crime families and was running Mandalore from a distance. An old friend asked me to help, and as thanks she gave me the blue & grey you saw me in earlier.”

I spotted a ladder going down one of the viaduct’s support columns. “I’ve met Mandalorians before, how did Maul end up controlling them?” 

“He defeated the previous leader in ritual combat. Not everyone followed, which is why a civil war broke out. I helped to end it.”

“So you were on Mandalore during the Siege?”

“I led the Siege.” She had so much pride in her voice. “Led Clones and Mandalorians alike to retake their planet from Maul.”

“What happened next?”

“We won. I handed the planet back over to the sister of the previous Duchess, and I left with most of the clones I brought.” Her tone then changed to somber. “Next thing you know, I’m escaping a crashing cruiser with the only clone who didn’t betray me.” 

“Serves them right”

I was shocked by her reaction. “Hey, the clones aren’t bad people. It’s not their fault, they were forced to do it.”

We were now stopped, halfway down the ladder. “What do you mean forced? Couldn’t they just say no? I’ve seen clones disobey orders all the time.” Incredulity mixed with fear, thinking Ahsoka might betray me back to the clones. 

“This time it’s different. This order is baked into them. They have a chip in their brains that controls this. I watched Rex struggle against it, the pain he was facing.” She was starting to cry. “I surgically removed it. And afterwards, despite not hurting me, do you know what he said? He said, ‘Sorry for what happened earlier, I almost killed you.’” 

I could feel the anger I had been holding tight to start to slip away. Seeing Ahsoka’s tearful defense of the clones broke something in me. But instead of sadness, it was just a numbing emptiness. Like so much of what I felt. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.”

The rest of the climb down was passed in silence. 

—

We found ourselves standing outside my escape vehicle. “Well this is certainly an…interesting ship.” Ahsoka was trying to be kind to the piece of junk. “Do you know the previous owner?” 

“No, I picked the worst-looking small ship in the spaceport.” It featured a plethora of corrosion spots and plenty of dents. Most of the dents were on the outrigger engine pods, which hung a little too close to the ground. The under-slung cargo fasteners looked like they’d been replaced half a dozen times. The rear viewport had a splash of carbon scoring, with a nasty blaster cannon shot sitting in the reinforcement next to it. “But, it’s been growing on me.”

“Ships tend to do that,” said Ahsoka as I opened the rear-facing landing ramp that led into the interior. We passed the small bunks and galley as we climbed up the ramp. The retractable ladder for the dorsal docking port was marked with an orange “look out” sign that had been repainted. I had kept the head closed for a reason. The maintenance console sat covered in a thin layer of dust, which Ahsoka began to wipe off. “Does she have a name?”

It took me a second to realize she was asking about the ship. “Uh, not yet. I haven’t exactly had time to think.” In reality, I had never truly had something like this that was mine besides my lightsaber. So many names started bouncing around my head. “Do you have any ways to pick? Or how to know it’s right?”

She smiled at me, as if knowing something I didn’t. “You can always go with a name that honors something or someone in your life. Or maybe something you want to aspire to. Honestly, names that sound cool are also great.”

The “someone in your life” gave me the answer. “She’s the Kastolar Skull,” I declared, in honor of Master Billaba and the Mandalorians who protected us. 

“Perfect,” she said, rifling thru several drawers before finding a tool I had never seen before. “So Jarrus, want to learn how to rewire a ship’s transponder?”

—

After a few lessons on ship maintenance (and one on comlink reprogramming), Ahsoka and I ate a small dinner. She had picked up some spring vegetables from a food stall and bottles of a Karlini beverage from another. We sat next to each other on the floor of the ship, legs dangling down into the vacancy left by the landing ramp. Much closer than I was used to; Master Billaba and the clones alike kept a professional distance between them and me. But Ahsoka sat right up against me, a physical touch I found myself enjoying after being isolated for days. 

“Hey, uh, Ahsoka? Thanks for everything today.” 

“Of course, I wasn’t going to let you die.”

“No, you did more than that.” I struggled to find words for what I was feeling. “You helped me live.”

She put her arm around my shoulder. “That’s the whole thing, Jarrus. Just keep on living.”

I took some time to finish my bowl; by the end, the lack of sleep caught up to me. “I think I’m gonna try to get some rest.”

“If you leave the ramp unlocked, I’ll be outside if you need me.”

We both jumped down to get off the ledge. I was given a surprise hug before she was already down the ramp and outside. I stood there, dazed, before deciding to raise the entrance and climb into bed. 

It was the best night’s sleep I had in the past three months. 

—

“So, what do you think, commander?” Her best friend sat next to Ahsoka as they sat on the dirt with their backs against the ship. The Chommell sector stars hung above them. 

“I don’t know, Rex. They’re really shaken up from what happened.” 

“Like you were. Like I was.”

“We had each other. Jarrus was alone, and they had to run from Depa dying. I can’t imagine what would happen if I had to watch Anakin…” The silence that followed was cut into only by a passing train.

“General Billaba’s padawan, huh? They’re a 119?” 

“I’m not even sure if they know yet. But all the hints are there, I want to make sure they live long enough to realize it. And, you know, encourage them.”

Rex’s lips curled into a smile, “You like them, don’t you?”

“it’s…not like that,” replied Ahsoka, bashfully. “I just…wanna be there for them.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, Commander.” Rex changed the subject, “Do you still want a ride to Naboo?” He gestured up to a moderately bright star, just to the left of the small, brilliant Kaliida Nebula. 

“No, I think I’ll ride with Jarrus there. I know you can handle yourself. Take care of R7 until we see each other again.”

“Any other orders, Commander?”

“Rex,”—she turned to look him in the eye—“you don’t have to follow orders anymore. Not from the Empire, not from me. You’re a free man.” They stared into each other’s eyes, brown and blue, looking for answers. After a moment, she returned to stargazing. “But I do want a favor.”

He tried making out the string of stars along the Enarc Run. “For you? Anything” 

“Find your brothers that want to be helped. I know there’s still good in them.”

“Not really a favor if I was already planning on doing it. Already planning on visiting a brother on Saleucami.” 

“I’m glad to hear it.” 

The two leaned against each other, not as soldiers taking respite, but as old friends relaxing and enjoying their last night together. 

Notes:

The last section is an omniscient perspective, Jarrus was not present to hear it. Just wanted to give y’all a little taste of Ahsoka’s feelings on this. Also, she’ll be figuring out a new name (Hannah Jarrus) and pronouns soon Yes I am a fan of the Queen’s trilogy, how could you tell? And “119” is just clone slang for a trans person (in this fic).

@sapphicahsokatanoweek

[dragonleighs]

Cal stayed hidden on Bracca. He abandoned the Mantis. He kept the holocron and found the younglings. Divergent timelines where different choices were made for the worst.

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