#how about galactic star alliance?

[bet-on-me-13]

The Ambassador

So! It was finally happening. After Years of Pleading with the Guardians and other Ruling Bodies of the Galactic Community, the Justice League had finally gotten then to agree to create an Alliance with Earth.

With an Alliance, Earth would gain the Protection of Multiple Empires and The Guardians, which would mean an end to the Constant Alien Invasions they faced. There was also the legal opening of Trade Routes between Planets to exchange Technology and Resources on the Galactic Scale.

Of course Earth would return the Favor, legally being able to defend it's Allies with its unusually large population if Superheroes and quickly advancing Tech, while also trading Tech and Resources between Planets.

Of course the battle was not entirely won yet.

They still needed to begin Negotiations to see if both sides would even agree to the Alliance in the First Place, as well as decide on the specifics of the Treaty. The United Nation's would decide on Ambassadors to represent the different countries, while the different Alien Governments would send an Ambassador Each.

When the Ambassadors arrived, they asked to be introduced to the Representatives of the Planet. Except, they claimed that there was a missing Member.

They claimed that there was one more Major Kingdom on the Planet, the most Powerful One, which they felt must be at the Negotiations.

When asked who this missing Ambassador was, they simply replied, "King Phantom of the Infinite Realms, he and a Shard of his Kingdom reside on this Planet, do they not?"

Now they are working around the clock to find this missing Kingdom, because the Alien Ambassadors refused to negotiate without the most powerful Kingdom at the Table, and they woud not wait forever.

Just who was this "King Phantom", and why had he not revealed himself yet?

...

Sam and Tucker sat on the Couch in their apartment, staring at the TV as the Chosen Representatives for America finished their Speech. Apparently the Peace Talks had been put on Hold for a few more days as they did some last minute preparations. Something about making their Guests more comfortable before they began discussing politics.

"Hey Danny, they're delaying the Negotiations for a few more days." Sam called over to the Kitchen.

"Aw, what?!" Shouted Danny from the Kitchen, sounding extremely disappointed, "I just finished making all the Popcorn!"

"I know Honey, its too bad." Tucker comforted his Partner, "Let's marathon Star Trek instead, how about that?"

Danny slumped out of kitchen and into the Couch between them, steaming bowl of Popcorn in his Lap, "I guess. We can make good use of all this popcorn at least."

Sam patted him on the arm, "Hey it's okay, the Talks will just take a few more days."

Danny shrugged, "Yeah, you're right. Man, what I wouldn't give to be in that Room."

[andypantsx3]

𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 : 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐨 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: 1.7k of unedited alien prince shouto thoughts based on this post from the other day! sfw, gender neutral reader. several elements of this universe were borrowed from my fave sci-fi novel; see end notes for deets!

he's beautiful—the todoroki prince. tall and strong in his high-collared uniform, strapped with lean muscle and handsomely humanoid. he's the first thing that snares your gaze as your party is guided into the hall of the sun—the reception dome that overlooks the rise of the star yuuei in the morning sky, used by the ruling family to receive visiting dignitaries.

it is morning, in endeavorian planetary time, and the sun has begun to rise. its light is weaker than you remember from back home—almost watery, pooling like quicksilver in the panes of the dome's ceiling.

up at the front of the hall, it catches in the strands of the white half of the prince's hair. from what izuku has told you, it's the half that indicates he's part of the himura bloodline. the himura dynasty has ruled the yuuei system from its capital planet of endeavor iv for tens of thousands of earth-years. it's the second longest line of unbroken rulers in mapped galactic history, an impressive feat.

the other half of the prince's hair is a fiery red, like that of the man who stands next to him—todoroki enji, the general of intergalactic renown, who donated half of prince shouto's genome as well as his clan name. each time a himuran royal from the main line marries, izuku had explained, talking at lightspeed in the podship, they take a branch name, typically sourced from the primary gene-donator. it helps keep inheritance lines clear.

prince shouto looks like he's inherited empress rei and todoroki enji's genes in exactly half—his coloring split down the middle, though his features are perfectly, almost hauntingly symmetrical. he wears a pin of flint at his collar that symbolizes his gender—one of yuuei's thirteen official designations. from what you understand from izuku, it most closely aligns with earth designation "man".

it's embarrassing how much you notice about the prince as you file into the hall, stationing yourself right at the gap between izuku and tenya's shoulders, so you can still see todoroki shouto.

"you don't think they'll reject the treaty and kill us all, do you?" denki mumurs nervously as he presses in behind you.

"no, i don't think so," izuku's gentle voice drifts back to you. he's a three-star ethnologist, studying for a command ethnology post. subsequently he's the most informed of any of the cadets that have been sent along with the treatise party. you and denki are just mechanics, sent along in case anything goes wrong.

"the alliance would be too much trouble for the yuuei," izuku explains. "they have good relations with the surrounding galaxies and tight control over a lot of resources. but the alliance is really large now, compared to the last time they approached the yuuei. they'll likely want to accept at least a loose federation with the allies."

up on the platform at the front of the hall, prince shouto blinks long and slow, like an earth cat. you realize with a start it's the first time you've seen him blink at all, and the subtle reminder that he is not just an extraordinarily handsome human man but the prince of an alien species makes your skin prickle.

"don't you think it's weird they are all this pretty?" denki asks. "it's weird, right?"

"definitely weird," you laugh, your eyes trailing over prince shouto's blade-straight nose, his pert, perfect mouth. "possibly illegal under intergalatic law."

prince shouto stills all of a sudden, and there is the tiniest tilt of his head. two heterochromatic eyes flick over your way, and you are completely embarrassed by the way your stomach swoops in response. you just manage not to grab onto tenya's uniform to steady yourself.

one of the prince's eyebrow arches almost imperceptibly, and you wonder if he's heard you from this distance—but no, that would be insane.

denki picks up his commentary, emboldened by your playing along. you think the prince's eyes linger just a little too long on the gap between izuku and tenya's shoulders, but then you're distracted by the reception beginning.

the alliance treaty officer strides forward, flanked by a few of the other officials your crew had ferried here. she performs an elaborate bow, as do the other officials. from izuku's muttering you gather it's some sort of ritualistic greeting, and empress rei at least looks pleased with it, waving a gentle hand to gesture the party forward.

there is some shuffling as various aides set up a table and a series of holo-tablets, along with various inks, a leathery roll of endeavorian traditional parchment, and—

"is that a knife?" you ask, peering at the long obsidian blade placed on the table in front of the officials.

izuku's fluffy head of green curls inclines. "treaties are sealed twice. once in the alliance fashion and then again in the local custom, to make it binding per both systems. blood pacts have been used in yuuei for millennia."

the brush of something over your face has your gaze turning back to the prince—to find him staring straight at you, those unblinking eyes boring into you.

"izuku, weird question. can the yuuei hear across rooms?" you ask, suddenly self-conscious.

a green eye peers back at you. "only in the event of their pair bonds—the yuuei are documented hearing their matepair across approximately ten earth-kilometers. i think we're safe over here though. why?"

matepair. the world settles strangely under your skin, as the prince's eyes brush across it.

"uh, matepair?" you echo.

tenya gives both you and izuku a quelling look, but it's not enough to deter izuku from ducking down to explain in slightly quieter tones. "the yuuei look human but they pair differently. they form a parapsychic bond with only a single partner, which they maintain and uphold for life. it's not just cultural—it's like a physical compulsion. they cannot take another pair, and they cannot be separated for long periods or they grow sick."

prince shouto is still staring straight at you, and it's not quite comforting enough to know that he cannot possibly hear you.

it's only his role in the ceremony that seems to eventually break the prince's weird focus in your direction. he steps forward to perform his duty as empress rei's chosen heir. you almost flinch as the knife draws across the pale skin of his palm, and he adds several drips of silvery blood to the parchment, symbolizing yuuei's intent to uphold the treaty across future monarchs.

the flesh of his palm knits itself back together in seconds, and another little shiver goes up your spine. those mismatched eyes flash back your way as he steps back, and the various aides and officials once again converge on the documents.

there is a brief flurry of activity, various bows and oaths, some stilted endeavorian verse. the chief treaty officer looks relieved when it's all over, and the royal family steps down from the dais to greet the rest of the visiting party, as is the customary honor granted to allies to the yuuei. tenya ushers you into the queue near the back with denki, a symbol of your lower status as mechanics.

you don't mind, as the thought of reaching prince shouto has your stomach doing what feel like backflips in your gut. the longer the delay the better.

izuku had walked everyone through the appropriate greetings on the podship, a few murmured words and a hand touch at chest-level—extremely hard to mess up, even for you. but nevertheless your pulse kicks up the closer you draw to the royal family.

there's a long line of them you greet first. offshoot branch members, then general todoroki enji, whose enormous palm burns hot against yours and who looks he'd rather take your party's hands off than touch them. then rei's unchosen heirs—the princess fuyumi, prince natsuo—and a gap where prince touya would have stood, were he not offworld.

and then you're standing in front of prince shouto, your pulse pounding in your ears. he's extremely tall up close, clearing six feet easily, broad across the shoulders and handsome in a way that almost makes your teeth ache. the yuuei look deceptively human, but this near you can see the tiny details that separate them from you—the slight double-point to their ears, the silvery undertone to their skin, the prolonged space between their breaths and their blinks.

and of course their inhuman beauty. they don't quite look like regular people, and it sparks a tiny note of wariness in the primeval part of your human hindbrain.

prince shouto's mismatched eyes pin you, silver and blue, as a sudden, silvery flush creeps across his face. you hold your hand out in greeting, trying not to wonder if you've somehow managed to offend him already—but instead of pressing his palm against yours, his long fingers suddenly grasp yours, clasping tightly.

beyond him, empress rei freezes too. all at once you can feel every single himuran noble turn to look at you, hundreds of eyes pinning on you.

reflexively, words tumble out of you. "shit did i—what did i do? were you supposed to get a different hand thingy?"

you can hear the treaty officer's horrified inhale at the terms shit and hand thingy, deployed in crass galactic standard in front of a literal prince. you immediately wish you could take them back, but from the look on the prince's face, he's already heard them.

something at the corner of his mouth twitches, like he's trying not to smile.

"y/n," he says, in a deep tone. it's crisply accented and just as beautiful as the rest of him.

it takes you a second to realize prince shouto has used your name, which he could not possibly know considering the uniform you'd been issued for the yuuei visit has no unique identifiers on it. you glance down at yourself, then back up at him, befuddled.

"how did you—? where did you—?" you garble out. "did denki put you up to this? how do you know me?"

prince shouto's fingers smooth over yours, delightfully warm, calloused and sure. "i would know you in any universe," he says, voice soft. behind you, you hear princess fuyumi make a tiny sound of delight.

you blink. "universe? what—uh, what universe? how would you—?"

but shouto leans in, tugging you closer with those deceptively strong fingers. he's so very warm up close, and so beautiful it makes your brain short circuit, especially as he lowers his face to yours. a shiver rolls down your spine as his other hand takes you gently by the chin.

and then he murmurs a single word before pressing his mouth to yours—

"matepair."

𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: credits where they are due!! the idea of a space general dna donator, an overarching space alliance pursuing a treaty, & the flint pin denoting gender were taken from my fave sci-fi novel winter's orbit by everina maxwell! (if you love heartfelt gay love stories in space i am actually begging you to read it).

[now-you-sound-like-a-jedi]

Thinking about how Satine Kryze, founder of the Council of Neutral Systems, designated regent of 1500 star systems, would have been an invaluable asset to the Rebel Alliance.

And, pacifist or not, she absolutely would have joined it. Like, this woman was so angry over some children being poisoned that she burned a warehouse down and set up a whole plan to catch those responsible even if that meant putting herself in danger and arresting the head of her own cabinet. Can you imagine how she would react to Palpatine ordering the execution of the Jedi and demolishing galactic democracy? Satine would be up there with Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in the "powerful people who want Palpatine and his Empire to die" club.

I mean, she would be completely opposed to, say, Saw Gerrera's method of rebellion, but with her connections she'd have the whole intelligence-operation information-warfare thing down, and on that front at least she would definitely not be pulling any punches.

[gffa]

STAR WARS PREQUELS - A TIMELINE

So, what's this about, huh? After recently sitting down with Star Wars Timelines, I was genuinely surprised at just how much they were willing to nail down to a specific year and sequence of events, which admittedly is a reference book and those are pretty low on the canon totem pole so be prepared for future retcons down the road, but it's shockingly useful information to have! Because the more I paged through it, the more I realized just how useful it would be for fic writers, especially for anything that might be referenced by a prequels character. Do you want to know how old the Jedi Order basically is? What the eras were called, if a prequels character wanted to reference them? What year did Dooku leave the Jedi? When did Naboo join the Republic? When was the Republic founded? When was the Jedi Temple built? When was Yaddle born? When did the Togruta ally with the Republic? Was Anakin born on Tatooine? When did Plo discover Ahsoka? When did Anakin get his first kyber crystal? When did Obi-Wan join the Jedi Council? WHEN DOES THE MANDALORIAN CIVIL WAR TAKE PLACE?? Some of this is SO INTERESTING to have nailed down into place--like just how old Huyang is or that the Jedi Temple was constructed on Coruscant BEFORE the Republic existed! Useful for me to know, but also my prequels-era characters to know! This book is willing to tell us A LOT and I collated everything I thought would be useful for a prequels character to know! ERAS:

c.5,000 BBY– 1,032 BBY: Ancient conflicts "The Jedi and Sith wage a series of wars throughout their history so ruinous that at points each is brought to the brink of destruction."

c.500 BBY–330 BBY: "The Age of Exploration" "After centuries of governing in regions near the galactic Core, the Republic sets out to explore the Outer Rim. This era of exploration on the frontier presents many adventures and opportunities for the Republic and the Jedi Order alike, but growth also leads them to uncover new mysteries and dangers. Soon the Jedi Order’s very connection to the Force is put to the test."

c.500 BBY–100 BBY: "The High Republic" The four hundred years that are collectively referred to as the High Republic era.

TIMELINE:

c.25,025 BBY: BIRTH OF THE JEDI

"The Jedi Order is founded. Among the earliest locations, and likely the first, is a temple constructed on the planet of Ahch-To. Later, the temple retains the most treasured Jedi texts and earliest writings on the Order’s faith. For eons, these noble protectors stand united by their ability to harness the power of the Force itself for good."

c.25,020 BBY: Professor Huyang powered up "The architect droid Professor Huyang begins training Jedi younglings in the delicate art of lightsaber construction."

c.20,000 BBY: Dawn of the Republic

"The foundation of the Republic is formed through an alliance including Coruscant, Corellia, and Alderaan, prompted by the dawn of hyperspace travel."

c.5,000 BBY: Creeping darkness

"A dark-side sect splinters from the Jedi, causing the formation of the Sith. This fracture is the genesis of a millennia-long rivalry."

c.5,000 BBY–1,032 BBY: "The Sith battle the Jedi in numerous conflicts for thousands of years before their struggle comes to an end, resulting in the destruction of the Sith Empire."

c.5,000 BBY–1,032 BBY: "The Sith build shrines on planets, including Malachor and Moraband. They covet these locations for their connection to the dark side of the Force."

c.1,050 BBY: A Mandalorian Jedi

"Tarre Vizsla becomes the first of the Mandalorian warriors to be inducted as a member of the Jedi Order. The unique lightsaber he constructs comes to be known as the Darksaber, later stolen to be used as a symbol to unite his planet."

c.1,032 BBY: Coruscant Temple erected

"The main Jedi Temple on Coruscant is constructed at the same location where there was once a Sith shrine."

c.1,032 BBY: "Darth Bane, the last surviving Sith, recognizes that infighting and back-stabbing ultimately led to the downfall of the Sith Empire. He declares the Rule of Two, whereby there can only be a sole master and single apprentice of the Sith. The practice safeguards the inherently selfish Order from self-destruction, thus ensuring the survival of the Sith for centuries to come."

1,000 BBY: Reformation of the Republic

"The first incarnation of the democratic alliance of planets, the Galactic Republic, is reformed."

c.972 BBY: Rules of war

"The Galactic Accord of Systems establishes a set of rules of engagement, in the event another war should break out."

896 BBY: Yoda is born

"The future Jedi Master Yoda is born."

832 BBY: Construction of Theed

"Naboo’s capital city, Theed, is built. The floating city on the banks of the river Solleu becomes the jewel of the metropolis."

867 BBY: Naboo joins the Republic

"The planet of Naboo officially joins the Galactic Republic. The event will be commemorated annually with The Festival of Light."

796 BBY: Students of Yoda

"Master Yoda begins training Jedi. He will maintain this regular practice, teaching the newest members of the Order, for about 800 years."

600 BBY:

Jabba Desilijic Tiure is born.

509 BBY:

Yaddle is born.

c.392 BBY: PATHFINDERS

"The Republic and the Jedi establish Pathfinder teams to explore new hyperspace lanes in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. A team of Pathfinders typically includes two Jedi, a master and their apprentice, who work together with their Republic allies to discover new ways through dangerous and unexplored places. They work with communications teams who lay the groundwork for the infrastructure needed for Republic growth. In return for their efforts, the Jedi Order hopes to gain new understanding of the galaxy, new cultures, and the Force."

c.383 BBY: THE HYPERSPACE RUSH

"Independent explorers also race to discover new paths through hyperspace. These prospectors risk their lives in perilous, uncharted corners of the Outer Rim, hoping to find safer, shorter routes. Families like the Grafs and San Tekkas earn great fame and fortune by selling their knowledge of these new hyperlanes."

382 BB The First High Republic book of Phase II

The High Republic: Path of Deceit kicks off the second phase of books, set 150 years before the previous phase.

382 BBY: Battle of Jedha

"The Path of the Open Hand instigates a battle on the sacred moon of Jedha."

232 BBY The First High Republic book of Phase I:

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, which kicks off the original era of the High Republic (out of universe, not in universe), starting with the Great Hyperspace Disaster where a ship explodes in hyperspace over the planet Hetzal Prime. This ignites an intergalactic conflict with the Nihil that draws the Jedi and the Republic into a massive connected, long-running series of battles against them.

232 BBY:

"Dignitaries and Jedi gather at the Starlight Beacon for its official dedication ceremony."

The Great Hyperspace Disaster (the Legacy Run explodes in hyperspace) happens and the Jedi rush to help mitigate the disaster and evacuate as many people as they can.

"The brave deeds of the Jedi Order [in the Great Hyperspace Disaster] are cast across the galaxy via holotransmissions, making Kriss and her fellow Jedi heroes."

The Emergences: "Though Hetzal has been saved by the heroics of the Jedi, fragments of the Legacy Run continue to threaten the frontier. Fear grips the Outer Rim as blazing wreckage of the ship appears with little warning from hyperspace. As the Republic seeks answers to these Emergences, a group of Jedi stranded in a forgotten corner of space unknowingly cause a far older and more sinister threat to emerge: the Drengir."

"Wreckage from the Legacy Run scatters through hyperspace, endangering the Outer Rim. The first of the Emergences after the Great Hyperspace disaster occurs at Ab Dalis, killing 20 million beings."

"The Nihil strike on Elphrona, intending to ransom well-connected homesteaders and capture a Jedi for Marchion Ro’s evil machinations."

"The Jedi Council votes to join the Republic against the Nihil."

232 BBY: A BEACON OF HOPE

"With the Great Disaster behind them, the Republic and Jedi refocus on the opening of the Starlight Beacon. This towering space station located in the Outer Rim is one of Chancellor Lina Soh’s Great Works, meant to provide a symbol of hope in a dark corner of the galaxy. This shining example of Republic unity and progress serves as a vital base for the ongoing struggles with the Nihil and Drengir."

"One of Chancellor Lina Soh’s Great Works, the Starlight Beacon, begins operation after a dedication ceremony attended by Republic dignitaries and prominent members of the Jedi Order. The station is to be just one of many beacons, serving to connect, inspire, and serve the Republic’s growth in the Galactic Frontier. The Jedi maintain a permanent presence on the station under the leadership of Marshal Kriss and the watchful eye of the exacting Jedi Master Estala Maru."

"Hunting the Nihil - Though it lacks a formal military, the Republic forms a special task force to hunt the Nihil, with Joss and Pikka Adren among the first volunteers."

"The Jedi broker the Ayelina-Ludmere trade agreement."

232 BBY: GROWTH OF THE DRENGIR

"The carnivorous Drengir take root across wide swaths of the frontier. Their lust for living flesh, which they consider “meats,” leads them to attack hundreds of worlds. Defenseless settlers and the Jedi alike struggle to repel these horrifying plantlike creatures."

231 BBY: THE REPUBLIC FAIR

"Chancellor Lina Soh’s next Great Work is a magnificent fair on Valo. Meant to celebrate the Republic and its many achievements, the event turns into a tragedy. The Nihil mount a merciless raid on the fairgoers, destroy the event, and nearly kill the chancellor. The Jedi defenders mount a valiant defense but are outnumbered."

231 BBY: FIGHT FOR THE FRONTIER

"The Jedi march across the frontier as they seek justice for the attack on the Valo fair. With the Drengir threat seemingly settled, they turn their attention to the scattered Nihil forces. The Jedi believe that they are gaining the upper hand, but are unaware of who leads the raiders and their ultimate goal. The Nihil Tempest Runners bear the brunt of the assault while the Eye of the Nihil, Marchion Ro, prepares a new weapon to fight the Jedi."

"The Republic-Togruta Alliance is formed."

230 BBY: FALL OF STARLIGHT

"The Nameless wreak havoc among the Jedi, who fight valiantly in Starlight’s final moments. Master Estala Maru sacrifices his own life to delay the top half of the station from burning up in Eiram’s atmosphere. Below, Master Stellan Gios stays behind to ensure the lower portion will not strike a populated city on the planet’s surface."

"The Jedi recall their members to safety on Coruscant."

"The Republic readies a Defense Coalition fleet to strike at Nihil space. The Jedi, concerned that they cannot yet combat the Nameless, remain on Coruscant."

c.200 BBY:

"Births: Chewbacca— Wookiee hero and copilot born on Kashyyyk."

102 BBY:

"Serenno foundling Dooku’s family abandons him as an infant after discovering his Force abilities. The Jedi bring him to Coruscant to join the Order." (Dooku is born this year.)

Sifo-Dyas was also born in 102 BBY.

86 BBY:

Dooku becomes Yoda’s Padawan.

Sifo-Dyas becomes Lene Kostana’s Padawan.

84 BBY:

Sheev Palpatine is born on Naboo.

c.80 BBY:

Rael Averross becomes Dooku’s Padawan

72 BBY:

Mace Windu is born. (Take with a grain of salt, it's from a De Agostini booklet and never appeared anywhere else that I can find.)

c.70 BBY:

"Averross is knighted and encourages Dooku to take another Padawan."

68 BBY:

Qui-Gon Jinn becomes Dooku’s Padawan.

c.58 BBY:

"After attaining the rank of Jedi Master, Dooku is offered a seat on the Jedi Council."

Qui-Gon becomes a Jedi Knight.

57 BBY:

Obi-Wan Kenobi is born on Stewjon.

54 BBY:

"Obi-Wan Kenobi begins his Jedi training." (Presumably this means he was 3 years old when he was adopted by the Jedi and began his training then.)

52 BBY:

Palpatine is elected Senator of Naboo.

50 BBY:

"The Nightsisters sell Asajj Ventress to Hal’Sted."

46 BBY:

Padme Naberrie is born on Naboo.

44 BBY:

Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan.

"Stranded on remote Rattatak, the Jedi Knight Ky Narec discovers Asajj Ventress and trains her as his Padawan."

c.44 BBY - "Amid concerns about the corrosive effects of dynasties, the Naboo Reformations limit monarchs to a maximum of two two-year terms."

42 BBY:

Rael Averross introduces Dooku to Palpatine.

Dooku leave the Jedi Order and returns to Serenno to reclaim his title.

c.42 BBY: "Civil war engulfs Mandalore, a planet with a proud honor code and a war-torn history. Its clans form factions, with the conflict evolving to pit tradition-minded clan fighters against New Mandalorians who see the warrior past as a dead end."

c.42 BBY: "Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan protect Duchess Satine Kryze during the Mandalorian Civil War. Obi-Wan and Satine fall in love and he offers to leave the Jedi Order to be with her. They decide that their duties won’t allow them to follow their hearts."

c.42 BBY: "The Mandalorian Civil War ends with Satine’s New Mandalorians ascendant, though traditionalists—including Satine’s sister Bo-Katan—organize to resist her rule."

41 BBY:

Anakin Skywalker is born.

"Distant secret Ancient Jedi lore leads Obi-Wan to the Force-imbued planet Lenahra, where he forges a deeper connection with the living Force." (These are the events of the Padawan novel.)

c.41 BBY: "Holiday interrupted While visiting Kashyyyk, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan foil a Trandoshan raid aimed at taking Wookiee prisoners during Life Day celebrations." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures 2020, issues 3-4. Unclear if this is before or after the novel Padawan.)

40 BBY:

c.40 BBY - Maul becomes Sidious’ apprentice.

Qui-Gon is offered a seat on the Jedi Council. He does not accept by the end of Master and Apprentice.

"Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan visit strategically located Pijal to oversee the signing of a treaty between its monarchy and the Czerka Corporation." (These are the events of the Master and Apprentice novel.)

39 BBY:

c.39 BBY: Sifo-Dyas joins the Jedi High Council.

38 BBY:

c.38 BBY - "Shmi and Anakin Skywalker are brought to Tatooine. Their enslaver, Gardulla the Hutt, soon loses them to Watto in a bet."

37 BBY:

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan mediate a conflict on Bri’n. (Age of Republic - Qui-Gon Jinn #1)

36 BBY:

Orson Krennic and Galen Erso meet.

Ahsoka Tano is born.

34 BBY:

"Mace Windu helps overthrow the warlord Guattako." (These are the events of Age of Republic - Special #1)

"A skilled mechanic, Anakin begins gathering spare parts to build a protocol droid, C-3PO, to help Shmi with household chores."

"Sidious tests Maul on Malachor."

33 BBY:

"Plo Koon discovers a Force-sensitive Togruta toddler named Ahsoka Tano. He brings 'Little ‘Soka' to Coruscant for training."

"Sifo-Dyas orders a secret clone army to be created on Kamino."

"Eager to test his abilities against the Jedi Order, Darth Maul kills the Twi’lek Padawan Eldra Kaitis on Drazkel’s moon." (These are the events of Darth Maul 2017)

Caleb Dume/Kanan Jarrus is born.

32 BBY: THE PHANTOM MENACE

"The former Padmé Naberrie is just 14 when elected and has barely taken office when the Trade Federation blockades and then invades Naboo."

The events of The Phantom Menace take place, the Trade Federation invades Naboo, Valorum sends Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to help Naboo, Anakin Skywalker is adopted into the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon Jinn dies.

"Count Dooku pledges himself to the ways of the Sith, replacing Maul as Sidious’ apprentice and taking the name Darth Tyranus."

"Palpatine is elected supreme chancellor."

"Obi-Wan takes Anakin as his Padawan."

"The Sith take over Sifo-Dyas’ project to create a clone army, ordering inhibitor chips implanted in the clones to ensure their obedience."

"With Sifo-Dyas dead, Dooku takes over the clone project, altering it to serve the Sith’s purpose. In his guise as Tyranus, Dooku recruits the bounty hunter Jango Fett as the genetic template for the Kaminoans’ clone army. He then instructs the Kaminoans to secretly implant inhibitor chips in the clones’ brains to ensure their obedience. The clones will fight for the Republic, but the Sith will be their true masters."

Han Solo is born.

Boba Fett is born.

Yaddle is killed by Dooku.

31 BBY:

"Kuat Drive Yards receives an order from a secret buyer to create massive numbers of warships and weapons."

30 BBY:

"Sidious’ minions begin constructing a massive Observatory on Jakku, the first of several built as part of the Sith Lord’s decades-spanning Contingency project. As Palpatine, Sidious orders the secret establishment of bases, shipyards, and colonies in the galaxy’s Unknown Regions."

29 BBY:

c.29 BBY: "Anakin seeks out his first kyber crystal on Ilum and creates a lightsaber, an important step in his Padawan training."

"Anakin goes on a mission in Coruscant’s underlevels with a disguised Chancellor Palpatine, whom he comes to see as a mentor."

"Influenced by Palpatine, Anakin tells Obi-Wan he wishes to suspend his Jedi training and surrenders his lightsaber. With Anakin’s path undecided, Yoda sends him and Obi-Wan to Carnelion IV to investigate a distress signal. [Eventually] Anakin decides to remain Obi-Wan’s Padawan." (These are the events of Obi-Wan & Anakin 2016)

Hera Syndulla is born.

28 BBY:

Queen Amidala's final year as Queen of Naboo, where her successor, Queen Réillata, asks her to be Senator for Naboo and Padme agrees, taking office that year.

"Remembering her experience after fleeing Naboo, Padmé sends Sabé on a mission to investigate how to end slavery on Tatooine." (This ultimately doesn't really go anywhere/accomplish much, unfortunately.)

"Padmé becomes friends with two young fellow senators: Rush Clovis of Scipio and Mina Bonteri of Raxus." (These are the events of Queen's Shadow.)

c.28 BBY: "Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to retrieve a Holocron from Dallenor, leading to a confrontation with the Krypder Riders." (These are the events of Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi #1.)

27 BBY:

c.27 BBY: "Cliegg Lars buys Shmi Skywalker’s freedom from Watto. They marry and live on Cliegg’s moisture farm."

26 BBY:

"While on a mission to Sullust, Dooku kills the Jedi Knight Jak’zin and forces the Kaldana Syndicate to serve Sidious’ interests." (These are the events of Age of the Republic - Count Dooku #1.)

"Obi-Wan and Anakin rescue Yoda from raiders on Glee Anselm, but discover the incident was actually a test engineered by the Jedi Council [to help them get along better]." (These are the events of Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure.)

24 BBY:

c.24 BBY - "Dooku founds the Confederacy of Independent Systems, attracting planets that wish to secede from the Republic and beginning the Separatist Movement."

"The Senate passes the Emergency Powers Act, allowing Palpatine to remain in office for the duration of the Separatist Crisis."

"Palpatine forms the Loyalist Committee to advise him during the Separatist Crisis. Senators belonging to the committee include Bail Organa of Alderaan, Padmé Amidala of Naboo, Ask Aak of Malastare, and Orn Free Taa of Ryloth."

"The Senate begins debating the Military Creation Act, which would allow the Republic to create military forces for its defense."

"Adrift after the death of Ky Narec, a grief-stricken Asajj Ventress embraces the dark side and becomes a warlord on Rattatak."

"Osika Kirske imprisons Ventress on Rattatak, forcing her to fight as a gladiator. Dooku frees her and offers to make her his apprentice in hopes of one day supplanting Sidious. Ventress agrees to serve as the count’s agent and assassin." (These are part of the events of Dooku: Jedi Lost.)

22 BBY–19 BBY: The Clone Wars

"A political crisis propels the Jedi Order into a galaxy-wide war against the Separatists, secretly led by the Sith."

22 BBY: ATTACK OF THE CLONES:

"Obi-Wan and Anakin help defuse a crisis on Ansion." (Mentioned in Attack of the Clones: "He's just returned from a border dispute on Ansion," Mace says of Obi-Wan.)

The events of Attack of the Clones take place, Padme is attacked for her stance against the Military Creation Act in the Senate, Jar Jar introduces a motion to give Palpatine emergency powers as Chancellor, including the discovery of the clone army, Shmi Skywalker dies, Obi-Wan and Anakin and Padme are held captive by the Separatists and rescued by the Jedi, many who die in the arena, as well as Jango Fett dies, and the start of the Clone Wars.

Anakin and Padme are secretly married on Naboo.

Poggle the Lesser gives the Death Star plans to Dooku.

The Clone Wars begin on Geonosis.

22 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Mace Windu leads a Jedi mission to Hissrich. As a member of Windu’s team, Jedi Prosset Dibs accuses the Order of wanting Hissrich for the Republic. He duels Windu and is defeated. Dibs is found guilty of treason and confined to the Jedi Archives in hopes that he’ll find his way back to the light." (These are the events of Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu.)

"Padmé and Captain Typho help Sticks’ squad of clone troopers free Separatist hostages on the embattled planet Hebekrr Minor." (These are the events of Queen's Hope.)

"Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight."

"Obi-Wan becomes a Jedi Master and is elevated to the Jedi Council."

"Obi-Wan investigates a bombing on Cato Neimoidia and discovers the attack bears the hallmarks of both a Republic and Separatist operation. He brings this disquieting hint that someone is manipulating both sides of the war back to Coruscant. Anakin duels Ventress on Cato Neimoidia." (These are the events of Brotherhood.)

"Captain Rex, formally designated CT-7567, is assigned to Anakin Skywalker, who saves his life during the Battle of Arantara. A mutual respect soon blossoms between the brash, bold young Jedi general and the sturdy, by-the-book clone officer."

"Anakin’s troops run afoul of hostile wildlife while searching for Separatist forces on Benglor." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales #1.)

"The Techno Union’s Wat Tambor destroys the Nexus trading post on Quarmendy to keep Plo Koon’s troops from reclaiming it." (These are the events of Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales #2.)

"Yoda assigns Ahsoka Tano to Anakin as his Padawan, hoping to teach Skywalker how to let go of his emotional attachments."

"The Separatist battlecruiser Malevolence terrorizes the galaxy’s inner systems before it is tracked and destroyed at the Dead Moon of Antar."

21 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"The Republic invades Geonosis for a second time to destroy a dangerous new droid foundry constructed by Poggle the Lesser."

"Padmé and Jar Jar discover a bioweapons lab in Naboo’s swamps and must stop Nuvo Vindi from releasing the Blue Shadow Virus."

"General Grievous and Asajj Ventress lead a Separatist invasion on Kamino, with the Republic’s clones fiercely defending their birthworld."

"Sabine Wren is born on Mandalore but raised on neighboring Krownest."

20 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Anakin experiences a disturbing vision of his future in the Force realm known as Mortis and must make a wrenching decision."

"The Republic defends Mon Cala during a Separatist-engineered civil war between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren."

"Republic forces suffer heavy casualties while storming Umbara, a strategically located world with advanced technology that has become a Separatist stronghold."

"Maul returns from exile, bent on obtaining revenge against the long list of those he believes have wronged him."

19 BBY: THE CLONE WARS:

"Maul forms the Shadow Collective, forging several of the galaxy’s crime syndicates into a single underworld organization under his leadership."

"Mandalore’s Duchess Satine Kryze is overthrown by Death Watch’s Pre Vizsla, whose own rule is quickly ended by Maul. Maul has manipulated events to bring Obi-Wan to Mandalore, and now has the hated Jedi at his mercy. He strikes Satine down in the throne room."

"Responding to a disturbance in the Force, Darth Sidious arrives on Mandalore. Maul swears fealty to his old master, but Sidious rejects him. He kills Savage, blasts Maul with lightning, and takes his former apprentice prisoner."

"Anakin and Ahsoka return from Cato Neimoidia to investigate a bombing at the Jedi Temple amid rumors that a Jedi was involved."

"Ahsoka is expelled from the Jedi Order, which believes her guilty of the Temple bombing. She is then arrested by the Republic and prosecuted by Admiral Tarkin before a military tribunal, with Palpatine presiding and Padmé representing the defense. [She] leaves the Jedi Order."

"During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, the clone trooper Tup turns his blaster on Jedi General Tiplar, forcing a Republic retreat. Fives and AZI-3 discover a tumor in Tup’s brain. He dies after its extraction. Palpatine and Nala Se insist the tumor be sent to a Republic medical facility, but Shaak Ti decides it must go to the Jedi Temple first. Kix helps Fives arrange a meeting with Anakin and Rex. Fives tells them about the inhibitor chips and the plot against the Jedi, but his story sounds like a paranoid conspiracy and he becomes agitated. Commander Fox and clone troopers arrive, sent by Palpatine, and try to arrest Fives. When Fives resists, Fox shoots him dead. Tup’s action is blamed on a parasitic infection, and the inhibitor chips are delivered to Dooku."

"Padmé travels to Scipio to expedite a Banking Clan loan for the Republic and discovers Rush Clovis is serving as their representative. The Banking Clan is dissolved and Palpatine takes over its holdings."

"Plo Koon discovers the crash site of Sifo-Dyas’ ship, prompting the Council to investigate the Jedi’s long-ago disappearance."

"On Oba Diah, spice kingpin Lom Pyke tells Anakin and Obi-Wan that the Pykes were paid by Tyranus to kill Sifo-Dyas. Dooku arrives and is identified as Tyranus. He kills the Pyke leader and duels with Anakin, but escapes."

"The Jedi are disturbed to learn Dooku was responsible for the creation of the clone army, but decide to keep this revelation secret."

"Yoda obeys Qui-Gon’s voice and travels to Dagobah, where Qui-Gon’s spirit tells him to learn how to retain his identity after death."

"Anakin teams up with a mysterious Chiss military officer, Thrawn, to locate Padmé and destroy a cortosis mine." [Thrawn: Alliances]

"Yoda helps Kashyyyk’s Wookiees defend their planet against Separatist raiders, earning the honor 'Defender of the Home Tree.'"

"Mandalorian commandos free Maul from Stygeon Prime. Sidious and Dooku allow him to escape in hopes of drawing out Mother Talzin. Maul lures Grievous and Dooku into a confrontation on Ord Mantell and takes them both prisoner—a dangerous gambit of Talzin’s aimed at luring her old enemy Sidious into the fight. Grievous and Sidious come to Dooku’s aid on Dathomir. Grievous kills Mother Talzin and the Mandalorians drag Maul away to safety."

- "Ventress asks the Jedi to help abduct Vos from Dooku’s service in hopes of saving him. Vos returns to the Jedi, claiming his turn to the dark side was a ruse. But his true loyalties are unclear. Vos defeats Dooku on Christophsis, but agrees to join him to defeat Sidious. His secret hope is to kill both Sith Lords. Ventress confronts Vos and Dooku, saving Quinlan before Dooku attacks her with a devastating blast of lightning. The count escapes. Vos and Obi-Wan return Ventress to the waters of Dathomir. [Ventress dies.]"

"Having left the Jedi Order, Ahsoka befriends Trace Martez, a mechanic in the Coruscant underlevels, and her sister Rafa. Ahsoka discovers the Pykes are working for Maul, who is on Mandalore. She uses the Force to escape with the Martez sisters, and the Pykes conclude they were targeted by the Jedi. Ahsoka returns to Coruscant, where Bo-Katan Kryze recruits her to fight Maul."

"Separatists commanded by Admiral Trench invade the Republic stronghold of Anaxes and repeatedly defeat clone counterattacks. Rex is disturbed that the Separatists seem to be adapting rapidly to his strategies and suspects Trench is using some new combat algorithm. He proposes raiding the Separatists’ cyber center to discover their secret. The mission succeeds with assistance from an unorthodox unit of genetically altered clones known as the Bad Batch."

"Anakin joins Rex’s clones and the Bad Batch to raid the Techno Union’s facility on Skako Minor, fighting their way through Wat Tambor’s droid legions. They discover Echo confined in a stasis chamber and hooked up to Separatist computers. Anakin confronts Trench to obtain the rest of the sequence to disarm the bomb, saving Anaxes. He then kills the admiral. Echo joins the Bad Batch."

"Grievous launches a Separatist counteroffensive. The Republic sends Aayla Secura to Felucia and Plo Koon to Cato Neimoidia to hold the line."

"Obi-Wan and Anakin rout Separatist forces on Yerbana. ["Old Friends Not Forgotten"] Ahsoka and Bo-Katan approach the Jedi to propose a joint mission to capture Maul and free Mandalore from his crime syndicate. The Jedi agree and split the 501st in two, with Rex leading troops under Ahsoka’s command."

"A Separatist armada launches a sneak attack on Coruscant, hammering the Republic warships of the Coruscant Home Defense Fleet. Grievous ambushes Palpatine in the Federal District, killing Roron Corobb and knocking Shaak Ti unconscious, then kidnapping the chancellor. The Open Circle Fleet arrives from Yerbana."

19 BBY: REVENGE OF THE SITH:

"Anakin and Obi-Wan fly through the titanic space battle, dodging salvos of laser fire exchanged by Republic and Separatist capital ships in an effort to reach the Invisible Hand, where Palpatine is being held. With the Separatists cut off from their jump point, the battle degenerates into a brutal slugging match, with ships burning up in orbit and debris raining down upon the Coruscant cityscape below. Anakin and Obi-Wan rescue Palpatine above Coruscant. Anakin kills Dooku and Sidious plots to make the Jedi his new apprentice."

"Grievous retreats to Utapau, where the Separatist Council is in hiding. Sidious orders him to relocate the Separatist leaders to Mustafar."

"On Mandalore, Republic forces take the docks of the capital, Sundari. Prime Minister Almec orders Gar Saxon to retreat into the undercity. Bo-Katan’s commandos capture Almec. Ahsoka confronts Maul in the undercity. He is disappointed to see her, having hoped to lure Obi-Wan into his trap."

"Anakin dreams of Padmé’s death in childbirth. Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Jedi Council as his personal representative, to the alarm of Yoda and Mace Windu."

"Bail Organa meets secretly with Padmé, Mon Mothma, and other senators determined to resist Palpatine if he doesn’t surrender his wartime powers."

"Yoda heads to Kashyyyk to bolster its defense."

"On Maul’s command, Saxon shoots Almec before Ahsoka can finish questioning him, then makes his getaway."

"At Coruscant’s Galaxies Opera House, Palpatine plays on Anakin’s anger and doubt about the Jedi’s integrity, guessing that they asked him to be their spy. He tells Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord who could save people from dying. Anakin, fearful his nightmares are a premonition of Padmé’s fate, is intrigued—particularly when Palpatine tells him it is not a power that can be learned from the Jedi."

"Obi-Wan travels to Utapau to hunt for Grievous."

"Clone troopers, Bo-Katan’s commandos, and Saxon’s warriors battle in the streets of Sundari, with the Republic’s forces winning the day."

"Ahsoka confronts Maul again, who tells her Sidious is behind everything and Anakin is the key to destroying the Sith. Maul reveals that he had hoped to lure Obi-Wan and Anakin to Mandalore in order to kill Anakin, so Sidious could not take the Jedi as his new apprentice. Ahsoka and Maul duel. Maul is captured by Rex’s clones, with Saxon apprehended as well."

"On Utapau, Obi-Wan confronts Grievous. He duels the Separatist warlord and then chases him through the city’s winding tunnels and warrens."

"Palpatine reveals his true identity to Anakin and begs him to use his knowledge to save Padmé. Anakin vows to turn him over to the Jedi."

"Obi-Wan corners Grievous in a hangar on Utapau and kills the mechanical monster with a shot from a blaster."

"Imprisoned in a device that prevents him from using the Force, Maul is brought aboard a Jedi Cruiser destined for Coruscant, escorted by Ahsoka."

"Told of Palpatine’s identity, Windu orders Anakin to wait at the Jedi Temple while he arrests Sidious with Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin. Sidious kills Tiin, Fisto, and Kolar and duels Windu. He attacks Mace using lightning, which the Jedi Master deflects back at Sidious. Anakin arrives and pleads that Sidious be allowed to stand trial, but Windu says he’s too dangerous to be spared. Anakin makes a fateful decision, stopping Windu’s attack by severing his hand. Sidious blasts Windu with lightning, sending him through the broken window. Anakin pledges allegiance to Sidious, who grants him the name Darth Vader. He tells Anakin to go to the Jedi Temple and kill everyone there—that will make him strong enough with the dark side to save Padmé."

"Ahsoka and Maul sense a strong disturbance in the Force."

19 BBY: ORDER 66

"Sidious issues Order 66. Clone troopers across the galaxy obey their inhibitor chips and attack the Jedi, decimating the Order."

"Commander Cody targets Obi-Wan Kenobi on Utapau. The Jedi survives the attack, escapes offworld, and is rescued by Senator Organa. Aboard the Jedi Cruiser Tribunal, Rex manages to tell Ahsoka to “find Fives” before trying to kill her. She evades Rex’s fire and flees from his troopers. Commander Grey and his clone battalion execute Depa Billaba on Kaller. oda avoids death by killing Commander Gree and Captain Jek, and then escapes Kashyyyk with help from Chewbacca and Tarfful. On a Jedi Cruiser above Bracca, Jaro Tapal is cut down by clones from the 13th battalion, sabotaging the warship before he dies. Captain Jag downs Plo Koon’s starfighter during a patrol flight on contested Cato Neimoidia. Ki-Adi-Mundi is cut down by Commander Bacara’s Galactic Marines during infantry maneuvers on Mygeeto. Luminara Unduli is captured on Kashyyyk. After her execution, the Inquisitors spread rumors of her survival to ensnare other fugitive Jedi. Stass Allie is blasted by Commander Neyo while flying BARC speeders in a mop-up operation on Saleucami. Commander Bly gives the order to shoot Aayla Secura amid Felucia’s colorful fungi."

"Ahsoka prevents other clones from killing the imprisoned Maul. She releases him to create a diversion. While Maul wreaks havoc aboard the Tribunal, Ahsoka activates a trio of astromechs to help her evade Rex’s troops. Ahsoka locates Fives’ records, learning what happened to him and that Rex suspected the clones’ inhibitor chips have some ulterior purpose. Ahsoka subdues Rex and removes his inhibitor chip. Maul destroys the Tribunal’s hyperdrive, sending the doomed Jedi Cruiser careening toward the surface of a remote moon."

"Bail Organa arrives at the Jedi Temple to investigate the uprising and is confronted by clone troopers. He retreats under fire."

"Anakin, now known as Darth Vader and backed by the 501st Legion, marches on the Jedi Temple and slaughters its defenders. He shows no mercy, believing that the dark side is the only pathway to the unnatural powers he must command to save Padmé. As his rage and lust for power swell, not even younglings hiding in the Jedi Council chambers are safe from his lightsaber. Elsewhere, young Grogu survives a clone trooper attack but is haunted by his memories of the event."

"Anakin obeys Sidious’ command and kills the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, shutting down their droid armies and ending the Clone Wars."

"The Senate holds a special session, during which Palpatine—now scarred after his battle with Mace—details the Jedi plot to kill him and take control of the Senate. He proclaims the Republic is to be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire."

"Obi-Wan and Yoda fight their way into the Jedi Temple and recalibrate a signal to warn any surviving Jedi away."

"Padmé arrives on Mustafar, unknowingly bringing along Obi-Wan as a stowaway. Anakin uses the Force to choke her. As C-3PO and R2-D2 tend to Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan fight a running duel through the lava flows of Mustafar’s mining complex."

"On Coruscant, Yoda confronts Sidious and the two duel in the Senate Chamber, with Sidious hurling Senate pods at his Jedi enemy. Ascendant with dark-side power, Sidious proves too tough a foe for Yoda, who flees their duel, evading clone troopers sent to hunt him, and is whisked away by Bail Organa in an airspeeder. Sidious senses his new apprentice is in danger and hurries to Mustafar."

"Anakin is left maimed and burned after dueling Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Obi-Wan takes Anakin’s lightsaber and leaves him to die. Anakin survives and is encased in life-preserving black armor. As Darth Vader, he becomes the subject of rumors as the Emperor’s servant and enforcer"

Padme gives birth to Luke and Leia, then she dies. Bail Organa takes Leia to Alderaan and Obi-Wan takes Luke to the Lars' farm on Tatooine, going into exile there, while Yoda is on Dagobah.

"Ahsoka and Rex bury the clones at the Tribunal’s crash site. She leaves her lightsaber behind to find a new path."

19 BBY: GALAXY IN DARKNESS

"Tarkin tells Lama Su that the Kaminoans’ contracts are void and the need for future clones is being questioned."

"Padmé, appearing to still be pregnant, is laid to rest after a solemn funeral procession on Naboo."

"Mas Amedda presides at an Imperial rally held before Coruscant’s Jedi Temple to celebrate the defeat of the Order."

"Sidious abandons Vader on the desert planet Gattering with orders to seize a Jedi’s lightsaber and make it his own. Vader travels to a dark-side locus on Mustafar and bends Infil’a’s kyber crystal to his will, making it bleed red. By compelling the Force to serve his purposes, Vader takes an essential step in his journey as a Sith."

"Sidious puts Vader in charge of the Inquisitors, Force users who once served the light but were seduced or brutalized into following the dark side and are now responsible for hunting down and killing the galaxy’s fugitive Jedi. Vader proves a ruthless taskmaster, brutalizing his new underlings in combat training sessions and eliminating those who fail to live up to the standards demanded by him and the Emperor."

"Sidious orders Vader to lure the Jedi Order’s fugitive archivist Jocasta Nu to Coruscant’s Jedi Temple and capture her. An enraged Vader kills Commander Fox after clone troopers under his command fire on the Sith Lord at the Jedi Temple. Nu explains to Vader what he’s failed to realize: Sidious wants the memory crystal and its list so he can find a potential replacement for his apprentice. Vader kills Nu, tells Sidious she died trying to escape, and crushes the crystal."

"The Empire builds up its forces and begins enlisting and training conscript stormtroopers to replace the Republic’s clone soldiers."

"The Empire bombards Kamino’s cities, destroying all traces of the cloning program that played a critical role in the Clone Wars."

SOURCES & NOTES:

Star Wars Timelines by Kristin Baver, Jason Fry, Cole Horton, Amy Richau, and Clayton Sandell is the primary source for much of this, anything in quotation marks is sourced from here unless otherwise noted. This timeline is only quoting a small minority of what's available in the book, so it's recommended that you check it out for yourselves!

I have done my best to put everything in order even within the specific years, noting where I'm not 100% sure of the sequence of events.

If a "c.[YEAR]" is included, the spot is estimated, not hard fact, but in general it's a pretty trustworthy placement! Except for birthdays--they're not placed directly on the timeline, so I just kind of threw them in at the end most times.

Observation: Holy crap, the Clone Wars was NUTS.

[paganprankster]

Chance Encounters (Kylo Ren x GN!reader) (SFW)

Summary:

(Y/N) is one of the highest-ranking officials employed for the overseeing of the Death Star construction- a plan ordered by Kylo Ren. They stayed clear of him but could no longer as a sudden breach of an Imperial force supply base was reported- resulting in their paths crossing for the first time.

In the distant future, humanity has expanded its reach across the galaxy, eventually forming a vast alliance known as the Imperial Forces. This alliance occupies a variety of planets, with their influence reaching the farthest edges of the galaxy. Each planet was accompanied by its unique cultures, technologies, and species. However, the Imperial Forces rule was threatened when a military force- known as the Rebellion- began to rise in (population). They were in direct opposition to the Imperial forces, often trying to (ruin) technological research in response to the rumor that they were attempting to recreate the infamous Death Star. Should they succeed through their trials and tribulations, it would be the end of the Rebellion. Wherever the resistance has influence, the planet would be eradicated immediately without remorse- simultaneously serving as a reminder for the rest of the galaxy to never show resistance against the Imperial Forces.

 (Y/N) took another glance at the holographic map in front of them, slowly circling and analyzing the data concerning a recent attack on the Imdaar galactic supply base. To hide progress made on the Death Star, the blueprints were stored safely on the Finalizer under guard of thousands of imperial employees- making it near impossible for spies to find and successfully steal. The supplies used in the construction were scattered throughout most Imperial bases to hide them. The most valuable of which, the near indestructible Quandanium Steel and its alloys, were concealed within the confines of the Imdaar base; and now, they were destroyed. (Y/N)’s face conformed into a scowl. “Who knows how much money we lost in this attack,” they quickly used their fingers to zoom out of the base’s location and onto the nearby regions, “Do we know where they attacked from?” General Hux appeared beside them. “The stormtroopers on site didn't give any information that was useful,” he began, “After the bombing after the battle of Yavin, you would expect that our defenses there would be near impenetrable after it was rebuilt. But here we are-” Hux let out a halfhearted chuckle. (Y/N)’s eyes did not leave the map. They could feel the sensation of Hux’s eyes on them- following their movements- but they paid no mind. Being one of the highest-ranking officials employed for the overseeing of the Death Star construction, it was your job to help recoup after this loss. “General Hux, we are going to need a team to get together and survey the area- see where the infiltration may have occurred and see what may remain. The material there is essential to our project- and if nothing remains in the rubble, we will need proper funding to build from scratch. Another Imperial officer, part of (Y/N)’s operation team, nervously cleared his throat to garner attention.

“We will need to inform Master Ren about this-” he said, and immediately General Hux turned to face him, striking a fear into your poor coworker's body, and silencing him. “You’re overstepping your authority- and by informing Ren,” informally using his name, “Will only create a larger problem than we already have.”

“With all due respect, General,” (Y/N)’s voice cut through the growing tensions in the room, “Not informing him would warrant a bigger problem. We need a team, and funding- It will be impossible without the support of Master Ren.”

General Hux turned to face you, focusing his eyes onto yours. You watched as your coworker gave a small sigh of relief and returned to documenting the net loss of the attack with the rest of his group a safe distance away from Hux. General Hux is notorious for the need to be in control; Rarely anyone defies his orders, and if they do, they suffer the consequences. (Y/N) confidently stood their ground, maintaining their unwavering eye contact. (Y/N) straightened their posture, challengingly. Hux’s eyes searched theirs, not used any show of defiance.

“Ren-”

“Listen to them, if you know what’s good for you.”  

All heads swiveled towards the location of the robotic-like voice- a voice unmistakable. At the door to the meeting room stood Kylo Ren, donning his black mask and matching robes. Quickly, everyone in the room lowered their heads as a show of respect. Only Hux, and (Y/N) raised their heads again. (Y/N) smirked upon noticing the red look creeping its way onto Hux’s face. Whether it be from embarrassment, or anger, they were unsure. The smirk quickly left as they gazed back at Kylo Ren and met where his eyes would be- obscured by his mask. A chill went down their spine, simultaneously breaking eye contact upon noticing the closed fists of Kylo Ren shaking in anger. ‘Shit,’ they thought, ‘Hux has him pissed.’  If Hux’s comments had not pissed him off enough, the news about the attack on Imdaar would surely be his last straw. (Y/N) was the first to break this silence. “Master Ren, there’s been an attack on the supplies base on Imdaar-” nearly immediately, Kylo Rens murderous aura filled the room. He briskly walked to the holo-map that displayed the areas of damage.

“What did we lose?” he asked, turning towards one of the officers on your squad. Terrified, the officer began anxiously scanning the data on his holo-pad. “N-nearly 5.6 million credits worth of damage to the base. Certain areas of the base remain... but all the Quandanium steel has been destroyed. If there are any that remains in the rubble,” He shook his head, “It would be severely damaged and unusable.”

The silence filled the room, save for the increasingly heavy breathing emanating from Kylo Ren. In a rage, he wielded his lightsaber, illuminating the room with a blinding red glow. He angrily brought it down on the meeting room table, quickly splitting it in half, causing the table to collapse on itself and the holo-map to shut down. Everyone recoiled in fear and shuffled closer to the door leading to the halls of the Finalizer- their escape. Sweat began to drip down General Hux’s face as he readjusted his uniform out of nervousness.

“Get out.” Ren commanded. (Y/N)’s squad quickly left the room, hastily handing them the holo-pad displaying the analyzed data of the supply base attack. They would not need to be told twice- observing the anger of Ren was terrifying enough; delaying a response to his orders would be a death sentence. “Including you, general,” He hissed. General Hux held a scowl, before bowing his head and leaving the room. You followed behind, only for the door to be slammed shut before you could pass through. Was that the use of the force?

“Not you- I need you to debrief this attack.”  he said while re-holstering his saber.

(Y/N) took a sharp inhale due to their growing anxiety. Alone with the leader infamous for his anger, they thought, and I must disclose the carelessness behind our defenses that day. (Y/N) cleared their throats before making their way to the (now broken) meeting table. “Well,” they began, placing their teams holo-pad onto a nearby chair and displaying the map of the base that day, “when asking the stormtroopers deployed there, they were unable to give any information about things that may have seemed amiss.” (Y/N) pressed a few buttons to reveal the entirety of the base and pointed to three locations. “When this base was rebuilt, it was rebuilt with strengthened building materials with the previously flawed architectural decisions kept in mind. These locations were considered more vulnerable to attacks,” (Y/N) slightly shook their head, “but surveillance of the area pre-breach didn't show anything out of the ordinary-”

Ren approached and stood directly in front of (Y/N), looking down at them due to their height difference.

“If you can maintain eye contact with Hux,” Kylo ren nearly spat, “Then I expect the same for me.”

Shit, they thought, was my avoidance that noticeable? (Y/N)’s eyes shifted before locking eyes onto Kylo Ren’s mask- where his eyes (assumedly) would be. In an instant, a cold chill traversed through their spine, hairs on the back of their neck standing on edge. A few moments of silence brought the room to a standstill, before (Y/N) cleared their throat before responding, “Y-Yes, sir.” They cringed internally upon hearing the crack in their voice- a betrayal of their body.

Kylo Ren tilted his head slightly- analyzing the person before him. Upon hearing their response, he let out a gruff “Good ... and what have you deduced from this attack?”

(Y/N) maintained their eye contact and nervously fidgeted. No matter the performance, their anxiety would always show through. “...It means there must have been an internal breach. There are spies within our ranks and informed the resistance- at least about the materials. I am unsure if more classified information was leaked.”

Kylo Ren tensed before them, infuriation growing by the second. “Spies?”  His hands closed into fists again, with increasing shaking. He furiously turned, gesturing towards the holo-pad with his hand and used the force to fling it into the wall, causing it to shatter upon impact. (Y/N) jolted in response.

“Get out.” he murmured, back now turned to them. He re-ignited his saber.

I live to see another day, (Y/N) thought, and quickly stumbled over to the meeting room door and opened it via fingerprint. Before exiting the room, they gave a quick bow to Ren, and stammered: “We can discuss further plans at a later time.” (Y/N) hesitated for a moment. “Look after yourself,”

(Y/N) quickly left the room, hesitating no longer without waiting for a response. The door shut behind them, and they could hear the muffled sounds of breaking equipment and furniture from within. (Y/N) began to briskly walk away from the room, heart racing as the anxiety began to overflow.

(Y/N) cursed aloud and began biting their nails. Look after yourself, they mocked themselves in their subconscious.  What overcame me? They let out a heavy sigh. This was the first-time meeting Kylo Ren. And it was certainly not the last.

[tranakin-skywalker]

Fuck it, fic rec list time!

I'm bored and can't sleep so here's a non-exhaustive list of some of my favorite Star Wars fics. I'm leaving the really well known ones off, wanna share some of the more obscure gems.

Not Placid Stars But Singularities by iceplanet

He stands before Sidious, head bowed, helmet pinching at the back of his neck where he hasn’t yet gotten the med droid to file down the sharp edges. Sharpness is another fact of life, now: the feel of metal digging into flesh defines his every motion. Given the time and the opportunity, he himself could probably have built prosthetics better than the ones he currently wears. “Your task, Lord Vader,” Sidious is saying, “is to transform this heap of antiquated softness into a palace worthy of our new Empire.” In the weeks after Mustafar, Vader must come to terms with his new body and the remnants of his past. In the process, he has a few conversations that he does not expect.

This one has everything I love: ghosts, mutilation, Vader being the saddest wettest murder meow meow, Sith Lord batshittery. What fun.

Skin Graft by HENST33TH

“ I hurt you.” killed her, Vader's stomach roiled. Bile clawed at his throat as he looked at her. He wasn't making any sense. Her face softened some. “ Dreams…?” she said. Padme thought she understood. It was sick, it was corrosive. He was unfaithful. For twenty years he was unfaithful. He hurt her children. He needed to spit it out. Explain. She deserves it. She needs to know. Vader needed to crack himself open. Padme needed to tear him apart. For her safety. He got out of bed. Twitching with the need. Shaking with the pressure inside of him. Taught like a noose. He stood before her. She placed her hands on his arms. “Then what, Anakin.” Anakin, Anakin, Anakin. Vader sank to his knees. Resting his head against her middle, he breathed. The shame clung to him and coated his throat till he was choking on it. “It’s so much worse than that.” all at once the future loomed over him. Daunting, a beast of its own. How can he explain it? *** Or, Anakin Skywalker gets thrown back in time. He has to learn: 1 how to have a body again 2. To curb his Raging insecure attachment style. 3. That his wife should be the one making the important galactic decisions.

A newer fic that I am quickly becoming obsessed with. The way it's written is perfect. The characterization is perfect. Everything about it is perfect imo. And the ending of this latest chapter. Masterpiece. I want 10 more.

Nameless, On the Edge of Nowhere by Taxonamie

Following the presumed death of the evil Emperor and his hulking henchman Darth Vader, the fledging Alliance stands on the verge of victory! But as they press their advantage against a destabilized Empire and manifest from the seeds of Rebel resistance, can this new government survive their own instability? Among the scattered Imperial forces of the second Death Star, Darth Vader's disapparence is not so final as they would hope. Worse yet, the Rebel Hero Luke Skywalker has gone missing! Alone and disadvantaged, what will Anakin Skywalker do to find his son? Will he walk the razor's edge of tentative alliance with the Rebel Forces, or succumb to the draw of Imperial power? Free from all Masters, can Anakin Skywalker learn who he wants to be, at last? Princess Leia Organa must navigate this minefield of clashing obligations and dripping grudges, all the while attempting to understand a heritage she hates, a brother she loves, and a mysterious mother she cannot understand.

I think this fic is the most successful at bridging the gap between Prequel Anakin and OT Vader that I have ever read. They genuinely feel like a continuation of the same character here rather than a disjointed Before and After.

trust displays by AshToSilver

Rex meets Luke and Leia for the very first time the night they are born.

I love how sweet but also horrifically fucked up this one is. Cannot express how much this fic has influences the way I write the clones.

in morsum ardeo by astarsdarkheart

A fallen Jedi and Lord of the Sith burns in a pyre on the banks of a river of fire. Something else rises from the ashes.

This series rewired my brain. Like, holy shit. Holy shit. I don't think I could ever actually choose a top favorite fic of all time, but honestly? This one makes a strong case for itself. It has haunted me every day since I first read it over a year ago.

Forever War by yujacheong

Vader has trouble distinguishing between the past and the present. Fortunately, it rarely matters in the context of the Empire's forever war.

Love me a good Vader character study.

this place loves what it eats by roadtripexpert

What could be called but isn’t death, or Leia Organa doesn't kill the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker

I know I've already recommended this one but it is just. So fucking good. The note from my bookmark: Father-daughter roadtrip results in about as much murder and bitching as you would expect.

relieved to live in the wreckage by niniblack

When Obi-wan doesn’t follow Padmé to Mustafar, she’s able to convince Anakin to run away from everything with her. But this doesn't prevent his nightmares from coming true, and he's left alone in a hostile galaxy with the infants she begged him to protect. “Master Anakin,” Threepio says, still hovering in the doorway. “Might I suggest bouncing the children?” Anakin stops pacing around with the twins, head swiveling to look at Threepio. He doesn’t have to ask what the fuck Threepio is talking about; Artoo does it for him. Threepio seems to draw himself up as straight as he can. “I have conducted extensive research on the subject of human childrearing in anticipation of Mistress Padmé giving birth. Holding an infant and gently bouncing them in the parent’s arms is thought to be an excellent calming method.” “Oh,” Anakin says. “I thought you meant… bouncing them on the floor or something.”

The note from my bookmark: Single dad Anakin. Congratulations buddy, no one's ever done it worse.

Send the Whole Damned Thing Down the Drain by handstitchedanarchist

“Are you a conscripted soldier or a battle slave?” General Skywalker asks him one day. Rex thinks about it. And then thinks about it a little longer. And then he has to admit, “I’m not sure what the difference is.” The general looks distant and… sad? “Yeah, me neither,” he says.

This is another one that has greatly influenced the way I write the clones.

Gonna end the list here cuz my meds are starting to kick in and I feel like I'm going to fall over

[unfair-water-plane]

I’m very new to talking about things online, but just wanted to share a headcanon.

After the events of ME:3, humanity has to start rebuilding. Arcturus is gone, very likely much of earth’s governance is gone or indoctrinated beyond the ability to lead. They are going to need new faces in high places, and whose is chock full of people who have shown their mettle? The Alliance. It’s natural that leaders will rise from military places, and that can be dangerous. It’s so easy to go martial law when everyone is…well, martial.

But you know who probably be okay with leaving the alliance? Who has the moral fiber to stand not just for earth but as a leader for the whole galaxy? Who has not just the trust of the Spectres but has earned their way among them, and who they know will not treat them like cannon fodder in the rebuilding of everything?

That’s right, introducing humanity’s new councilor:

Kaidan Alenko.

The way I see it (and your mileage may vary, I’m basing this on my own experience if not service), if I had busted my way all the way to N7, was an operational commander and had a frigate no one had the balls to take from me I would be in no hurry to just end that rise. I have a headcanon that N7 is hell in career growth since they don’t drop a bundle on training and then promote you out of the field, so Shepard’s probably primed for a life of spec ops service with Commander, or maybe Major eventually, as his high water mark.

Now add in the fact that your husband (because you know the minute Shepard managed to open even one eye Kaidan was welding a ring on that finger) is going to be humanity’s councilor. He’s going to need someone in his corner who is unquestioningly loyal, fiercely protective, and has once a month spa dates with the Shadow Broker.

But I think Kaidan is like be so good at that role. He’s a natural peace maker, has spent a lifetime developing control over himself and his action. The first time one of the other councilors starts to just pass down uncollaborative mandates Kaidan drags them all aside for six hours of methodical debate and a galactic sized MCPP. By the end of the first month he’s completely eliminated standing on the platforms and holding condescending debate in front of applicants. Round table discussions with home planets, involved parties and unbiased observers becomes the norm. There will never be another ‘cruel and unfortunate truth’ moment with Councilor Alenko demanding the mindset of respect through service.

(And in the background, completely uninvolved in the discussion but never too far away during the emotional debates, Reaper Killer and Galactic hero Commander Shepard alternates between staring at humanity’s councilor like he hung the stars and seeing how quickly he can intimidate an end of a meeting at the first sign of a migraine).

Anyway, that’s just my two cents. Wanted to get it out of my head.

[elbiotipo]

A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry talked about this better and more pedantly than me recently, but it's interesting to see the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire from Star Wars, rather than a modern representative republic that falls to fascism, as the Holy Roman Empire. A (galactic) "republic of princes" with an elected senate (or diet?) and leadership but is otherwise a collection of independent states each with their own militaries, governments, etc.

The Clone Wars could be seen as a conflict between these princedoms (a lot of what happens in the Clone Wars series is about convincing such and such system to support one way or the other) similar to the Thirty Years' War, and the Empire as an attempt to centralize power in a single sovereign much like it was seen in the history of early modern Europe, which of course is an expensive and difficult effort (especially in a galaxy accostumed to the 'traditional' loose government of the Republic). Since the Emperor himself is not a good sovereign at all,not only Evil but also incompetent, he quickly falls out of favor from the princes, and his centralized military is defeated by the Rebel Alliance. Presumably, Order Is Restored, but you can see that after such a thing, there would be very fundamental changes all over the galaxy that I don't either the old expanded universe and definitively not the new canon have resolved. (the Star Wars Enlightment/Napoleonic Wars, anyone?)

Anyways, Star Wars is obviously a story abut a family of space wizards, but it's very interesting to imagine how the wider Galaxy works from a political, historical, etc. perspective, and I found this idea very appealing, an interesting thing to support my Space Empires worldbuilding post.

[jedimandalorian]

Ahsoka Episode 8 “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord”: The Story, the Symbolism, and the Score Part One

As the episode begins, we hear sinister drumming, then a low rumbling as the cargo transfer to the Chimaera is completed. Thrawn orders the dispatch of two TIE fighters. Sinister music plays as Morgan receives the “gift of shadows.” As she makes her pledge to the sisterhood and the old ways, Morgan’s Theme (the Nightsister Theme) is heard. Morgan’s eyes glow green and then turn black as power is transferred to her by the Nightmothers. Morgan receives the Blade of Talzin, a reference to the sword used by Mother Talzin in The Clone Wars animated series.

Thrawn’s Theme plays triumphantly as the Ahsoka title card and the episode title appear onscreen: “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord.” This title is an obvious reference to C. S. Lewis’ novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and it isn’t the first reference to Lewis’ Narnia books in the Filoniverse. The World Between Worlds itself was inspired by Lewis’ “wood between the worlds” which allows passage across time and space to other worlds.

The title of the episode does have a deeper meaning, but this may not be apparent until one has watched and fully understood what the episode is really about. The “Jedi” in the title is Ahsoka, who corresponds to Lewis’ Aslan, the magnificent golden lion who is the Christ-figure in the Narnia books, not unlike Tolkien’s Gandalf. The “Witch” in the title is Morgan Elsbeth and all of the evil that she and the White Witch of Narnia represent. The “Warlord” is Thrawn, who will travel between the galaxies just as the magic wardrobe in the Narnia books allowed passage between the worlds. Lewis’ novel is about many things, but at its core, it is a story about redemption. In the novel, young Edmund Pevensie, in his selfish desire for Turkish Delight, makes an a dangerous alliance with the White Witch and betrays his siblings to get what he wants. He later regrets this betrayal and repents of his selfishness. However Edmund’s debt must be paid. Instead of dying a traitor’s death, Aslan is sacrificed in Edmund’s place. The White Witch slays the Lion, but due to the Deep Magic from before the dawn of time, Aslan resurrects triumphantly and defeats the Witch.

Sabine Wren, whose all-to-human desire to be reunited with Ezra Bridger, led her to make an alliance with Baylan Skoll in episode 4 of the Ahsoka series. Sabine didn’t destroy the star-map because of her selfish desire to see Ezra again, and by making this choice, she set in motion the return of Thrawn and the possibility of another galactic war. By making this selfish but understandable choice, Sabine failed as a Jedi. As in Edmund’s story, Sabine is on a journey towards redemption for what she’s done.

The next scene is of Ahsoka’s ship hovering low above the traveling Noti pods. Onboard the ship Huyang and Ezra bicker as Ezra constructs a new lightsaber for himself.

“Who taught you how to build a lightsaber anyway?” Huyang asks.

“Kanan Jarrus,” replies Sabine Wren from the doorway of the workshop. She smiles at Ezra.

“He was my master,” Ezra says, his glance lingering upon Sabine for a moment. “He taught me everything I know.”

Quiet music accompanies this conversation. When Huyang says that the relationship between master and apprentice is as challenging as it is meaningful, the camera pulls in closer to reveal Sabine’s expression, which shows sadness and even remorse.

A quiet rendition of Sabine’s Theme is heard as Ezra completes the construction of his new lightsaber. When Ezra asks “Hey Sabine, Ahsoka ever teach you how to…?” he turns to looks at her and sees that she is gone.

Ezra asks Huyang what happened between Sabine and Ahsoka. Huyang tells Ezra about the Purge of Mandalore, and that Ahsoka felt that if Sabine unlocked her potential at that time she would become dangerous.

Sabine exits the ship to talk with Ahsoka who is sitting atop the shuttle as it hovers. Soft strings accompany the conversation. Ahsoka’s Theme is heard, which is then followed by Sabine’s Theme played by cellos. Ahsoka knows what Sabine did but says that she will be there for her no matter what happens next. They discuss whether Sabine has kept up with her training.

“Being a Jedi isn’t about wielding a lightsaber,” Ahsoka explains. “Train your mind. Train your body. Trust in the Force.”

Ezra exits the ship, announcing that he just finished building his new lightsaber.

The music is much louder as two TIE fighters open fire upon them and the Noti caravan. Ahsoka’s ship takes a hit. Ahsoka and Ezra levitate it to save the Noti from being crushed. Sabine and Huyang attempt to pilot the damaged ship. On Sabine’s signal, Ezra and Ahsoka hurl the ship towards the two TIEs and the wings of the T-6 shuttle clip them, destroying both of their attackers. Ezra and Ahsoka run to the site of the crashed T-6.

“Got ‘em” Sabine says to them after exiting the smoking shuttle. She surveys the damage to the Noti pods. Ezra remarks that this will slow them down a bit, but Ahsoka responds “only if we let it.”

End of part one. To be continued! Let me know what you think of this analysis so far. It’s going to be a long one.

[claudia1829things]

"ANDOR" Season One (2022) Commentary

"ANDOR" SEASON ONE (2022) COMMENTARY

Ever since Season One of the Lucasfilm series, "ANDOR" was released on the DisneyPlus streaming channel, it has received a great deal of accolades and high praise. In fact, the series is now regarded as one of the best productions from the STAR WARS franchise, if not the best.

I find this high regard ironic, considering how many STAR WARS fans had reacted to Disney Studios' announcement about a series focused around the character of Cassian Andor, from the 2016 hit film, "ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY". Many were not happy. I, on the other hand, had looked forward to the series. Not only had I been a major fan of "ROGUE ONE", I had regarded both the Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso characters as one of the film's highlights. So, when I finally sat in front of my television series and watched an episode of "ANDOR" unfold each week during the fall of 2022, my reaction resulted in . . . hmmm, mixed feelings?

Season One of "ANDOR" certainly had its highlights. I admired the excellent performances from a cast led by the very talented Diego Luna. I thought showrunner Tony Gilroy's portrayal of a corrupt and violent Galactic Empire seemed pretty spot on. In fact, Gilroy's portrayal of the galaxy at this point in the timeline pretty much matched his, Chris Weitz and director Gareth Edwards' portrayal of the galaxy in "ROGUE ONE". Although the 1980 movie, "STAR WARS: EPISODE FIVE - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" was the first STAR WARS film to portray its protagonists ambiguously, the ambiguous portrayal of the Rebel Alliance first appeared in "ROGUE ONE". Gilroy continued this ambiguity of the Rebel Alliance in the "ANDOR" series. Season One featured scenes that impressed me very much. They included Cassian Andor’s escape from Ferrix in the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning"; the Rebels Alliance of heist of the payroll of the Imperial garrison on Aldhani in (1.06) "The Eye"; and Cassian’s rescue of Bix and the anti-Imperial riot on Ferrix. Featured in (1.12) "Rix Road", the season finale. But the sequence featuring his stint at the Narkina 5 prison and especially his escape in (1.10) "One Way Out" nearly struck me as brilliant.

Despite these virtues, Season One of "ANDOR" also featured issues that I either found questionable or simply did not work for me. The season's narrative structure of a group of three (or four) episodes per arc barely worked for me. I say barely, because the arcs still managed to form one season-long arc. But it did so in a way that some of the episodes felt like mere padding. And this proved to be one of my main problems with "ANDOR". As I have stated before, the first two episodes could have merged into one. And the fourth and fifth episodes could have merged into one. I also believe that the seventh episode could have merged into the eighth one. For me, twelve episodes seemed like too much for the narrative featured in the series. And I found some of the episodes' endings rather abrupt and problematic. This especially seemed to be the case with the earlier episodes.

I still find myself wondering about the purpose behind those flashbacks featuring Cassian Andor’s childhood in the first two episodes were about, other than revealing his origins. But why feature flashbacks of his past, when they had no real impact on the season’s main narrative? Also, the last two episodes seemed anti-climactic to me. This especially seemed to be the case for "Rix Road", the season's finale. One might questioned this opinion, considering "Rix Road" featured the funeral of Maarva Andor, the protagonist's adoptive mother, her pre-recorded speech bashing the Galactic Empire, the riot that followed and the Rebel Alliance's attempt to kill Cassian before the Empire could capture him. The reason I found all of this anti-climatic is that the series' protagonist had played little or no role in these incidents. During all of these events, Cassian was busy trying to rescue his captured close friend, Bix Caleen, from the Empire's Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). Cassian's rescue of his friend proved to be a lot less difficult than I had assumed it would be. And the Rebel Alliance had decided not to kill him at the last moment.

Speaking of "Rix Road", it had provided one aspect of "ANDOR" that really annoyed me. The episode had paused its narrative to convey Maarva Andor's pre-recorded speech against the Empire. But this was not the first time something like this happened. Two or three times, the series paused the story in order for a character to give this great speech or monologue on the evils of fascism and tyranny. It almost felt as if Tony Gilroy was trying to shove politics down our throats. I am not one of those yahoos who constantly complain about "woke" politics in pop culture movies and TV. But the numerous pauses that resulted in a monologue or speech really got on my nerves. George Lucas managed to do the same with two lines in two separate movies. One line came from the mouth of Princess Leia Organa in "STAR WARS: EPISODE FOUR - A NEW HOPE". Her mother, Senator Padmé Amidala, had uttered an even more famous line in "STAR WARS: EPISODE THREE - REVENGE OF THE SITH". Two separate lines. It seemed a pity that Gilroy was unable to do the same.

My last major issues regarding "ANDOR" revolved around the characters of Syril Karn, a security inspector for a corporate conglomerate and Senator Mon Mothma of the Imperial Senate. Karn spent the first two episodes investigating the deaths of two fellow security officers killed by Cassian on Morlana One. The security officer's investigation led to his violent encounter with Cassian on Ferrix during the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning". Following Cassian's escape, Karn spent the next nine episodes developing two obsessions - finding and capturing Cassian and developing a romantic (if you want to call it that) fixation for ISB Agent Dedra Meero, while he continuously engaged in verbal combat with his domineering mother. After wasting away for eight episode, Karn learned about Maarva Andor's death and decided to travel to Ferrix to snatch Cassian. Only . . . he never encountered his prey. Not once. Karn only ended up saving Agent Meero from angry rioters. One could say this was a lead up to Karn joining the ISB. But this all felt like such a waste. Perhaps Gilroy could have allowed Karn to be an ISB agent from the beginning. This could have allowed him to take a more active role in the season's narrative.

Finally we come to Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila. I had assumed her presence in the series would be a repeat of her presence in "ROGUE ONE" - simply there to fill in the role as one of the Rebel Alliance's leaders. Instead, Gilroy provided an in-depth look into her private life and her efforts to keep her role as one of the Rebels' leaders a secret. To my surprise, Senator Mothma's arc came dangerously close to dominating this series . . . in which Cassian served as the main protagonist. The worst part - at least for me - is that her arc had no real impact on Cassian’s arc. Or served as any kind of catalyst to Cassian’s arc during this first season.

I find this ironic, considering the numerous complaints lobbied at 2022's "OBI-WAN KENOBI" limited series over the strong presence of the Reva Sevander character. What many have forgotten was that Reva's experiences during the Order 66 purge had led her to seek revenge against former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. Reva's quest for revenge led her to use both the 10 year-old Princess Leia and former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to achieve it. Her actions ended up serving as a catalyst for Obi-Wan's character arc in the series. Senator Mothma had no such impact on Cassian Andor's arc. Hell, she never met him in person in any of the season's twelve episodes. The only connection they had was Mothma's cousin Vel Sartha, who had led Cassian and others in the Aldhani heist. If Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm had wanted a heavy emphasis on Senator Mothma that badly, they could have made her serve as the catalyst for Cassian's recruitment into the Rebel Alliance, not Luthen Rael. Or they could have created a separate limited series for her. Tony Gilroy, Lucasfilm and many critics and fans had forgotten the name of this series, which is "ANDOR"; not "THE REBEL ALLIANCE", "REBELS II" or "MOTHMA".

Ever since I had expressed my complaints about Season One of "ANDOR", many have accused me of not liking the series. As if my opinions of it was a damn crime or something. One, I am entitled to my opinion of any movie, television series or any other form of entertainment. Due to my positive opinion of the Cassian Andor character, I had hoped to really enjoy "ANDOR". Unfortunately, that never happened. The first season possessed enough virtues for me to like it. But I believe it also possessed enough flaws for me not to regard it as highly as many others have. Frankly, I believe Season One of "ANDOR" proved to be one of the most overrated productions created by Lucasfilm.

[mybworlds]

Chapter 1

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!Reader (no use of Y/N)

Summary: This story sets 15 yrs before The Mandalorian events, Din Djarin is hired by Rebel Alliance forces to protect and escort you, the princess of a dead planet, to your new home.

Series warnings: use of you, violence, science fantasy elements, slow burn, angst, fluff, mutual pining, eventual smut (18+ MDNI), trauma.

Masterlist

Before to start: here we are with the first chapter of The Blossom of Arkanon story. I won't give many details of the various characters or places, so you could imagine 'em as you want. I don’t know how many chapters the story will have. English is not my first language, so be patient and merciful.

Thank you for following me in my various stories.

Thanks @idontgetanysleep for the divider

Thanks @vase-of-lilies for the banner

Writing about that episode doesn't help you, in fact it only makes you go through a trauma that will probably never pass, you will never heal, you can live with, but never feel better. It'd be like saying that the loss of your whole family, your friends, your Planet is nothing and that's not possible, it's unacceptable.

"NK - 841," you call it.

You close the book Nanuk gave you to write down your thoughts and memories and put it back in the shelf above your bed, get up and look out the porthole: deep space surrounds you, the stars are all around you. You wonder where you are going, you get up and walk to the cockpit where the other member of your meager crew, the robot NK - 841, is in the pilot's seat and is leading you in an unknown direction to you.

"Yes, Princess?" he says in a metallic voice.

"To a safe place." it only tells you, he doesn't add anything else.

"Where are we going?"

You feel bewildered, uneasy, you go back to Nanuk who is consulting the star maps, he has a beleaguered, almost tense expression, "Nanuk?" you call him "Trouble?"

"No, you're there too!" you point out.

He looks up from the star map on the screen "Princess." he greets you "I wish I could say no, but I might as well just be honest." you nod "You're the only Arkanian still alive." he begins.

You lower your gaze.

He smiles sarcastically "I meant the last of the pure and noble blood of Arkanian civilization."

"What do you know about the New Republic?" he asks, turning fully toward you.

You're confused, you've never heard of this, Nanuk continues, "What about the Galactic Empire?" your expression becomes more and more confused and screwy, you don't know what to answer. You have always been raised as a princess, in the comforts, surrounded by your greatest affections, the pampering of your mother's various handmaids who watched you grow up, you know nothing about politics.

"It's okay, princess." the man continues "Sit next to me." he tells you by making a seat appear next to his on which you sit "Many galactic years ago, the Galactic Empire, an ancient military and political power best known for its dictatorship, sowed death and destruction in every corner of space, to stop their vicious rule, a resistance known as the Rebel Alliance was formed to militarily oppose the Empire and to preserve the ideals of the Galactic Republic. " he explains to you "After the Battle of Endor, the New Republic was formed whose capital is never on the same Planet."

"And why?" you ask puzzled.

"Well, they wanted to prevent one Planet from feeling more powerful than the other," he replies.

"And so... I don't understand what this has to do with me, the Republic, the Empire...I'm a little confused." you admit, clutching the armrests of the chair.

"Relax, child." he says smiling at you "Your father recently left the Planet, you know that, right?" you nod "Do you know why?"

"I heard him telling my mother to trade part of our gems for metals and whatnot," you reply.

"And who was that?" you ask him.

Nanuk smiles, "That's not quite right. I was there and yes there was this barter, but your father met with some of the Rebel Alliance military command, including the head of covert operations."

"Well, I don't know, I know he goes by the name Fulcrum, but that's all I know," he tells you in a sigh "Anyway, your father joined the Alliance and-"

"I don't understand." you interrupt him "We are a peaceful Planet, we didn't need alliances or covert operations." you say starting to gesture.

"The covert operation is called the Arkanan Blossom." he says looking you straight in the eyes making your heart flutter "And that operation involves the arrival of the Blossom on Planet Ajan Kloss where the planet's representative in the Imperial Senate and Superior is located. That's all I know."

"And we are going there?" you ask him feeling very nervous.

"I can't do it alone. I need someone who knows the Galaxy, who knows how to protect you, and I-"

"But you saved me! Who better than you...!" you're about to say.

He smiles, "I have no weapons. This ship has no weapons on board, it's a ship made for the purpose of protecting you Princess, but nothing else." he explains.

"So where are we going? And who are we going to ask for help?"

"We're going to Coruscant and there we're going to ask for a person." he answers you vaguely, going back to looking at the star map on the screen.

Your traveling companion - NK - 841 - keeps you a lot of company at the end it has become almost a friend, or a sort of. Nanuk and the robot are the only ones you trust. Without them you wouldn't know what to do or where to go.

You have never made interplanetary travel, you are not used to it and in fact you are sick. You are constantly throwing up. According to Nanuk it also depends on the change in gravitational pressure from one Planet to another. You travel for what it feels like months, years. Actually yours is an eight-week journey. During these weeks you search the computers for everything you can find about the New Republic, the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Your head is bursting. This is another effect of the different gravitational pressure according to the man but, you think, depends on the considerable amount of information you're trying to make your own in a short time.

You wouldn’t trust anyone else.

"Are you sure it's the right place?" you ask him hesitantly.

Coruscant is a very different planet from yours. In fact, when the spacecraft lands, an immense city presents itself to your eyes, which has been building and renewing itself for thousands and thousands of years, according to Nanuk. There is no green area, there are no animals or plants. You look towards Nanuk looking for security in his eyes, it arrives immediately thanks to his reassuring look and his warm smile, then you hear him ask permission to land, permission which is immediately agreed upon. The runway almost seems to collapse on your approach and the spacecraft appears to be almost sucked into a dark gorge. You find yourself nervously shaking Nanuk's hand looking at you tenderly, "It's okay, Princess." he repeats to you over and over until you relax next to him.

Before opening, the man checks that the air is breathable for you too and after having ascertained this, he opens the hatch and, as soon as you set foot on the platform, three spaceships suspended in mid-air immediately surround you from which sapphire-blue beings emerge asking you what business brings you there. Nanuk speaks, while two of these strange creatures watch you and your companion. When the creatures calm down about your presence, they move away from you by boarding the ships and disappear at the speed of light.

"Yes. He's always around here. We are looking for a place where travelers can drink or eat after long journeys, someone will have seen it or maybe he will be the one to show up." he replies encouragingly.

"Can NK – 841 also come with us?" you ask him by turning slightly and noticing that the robot had followed you some distance away.

Nanuk turns, "All right, come NK – 841." then the robot reaches you and immediately stands by your side, you smile even if you know it can't smile back or rejoice.

All three of you climb onto a huge disk surrounded by sheets of ice which then, once inside, close and then climb. You observe in amazement the many buildings that present themselves to your eyes, the multitude of creatures that live and work around you. It's a completely different world than yours.

Once you arrive, the ice sheets open, allowing you to enter an immense corridor with blue and white colours, on the sides there are dozens of doors from which as many dozens of strange-looking and colored creatures enter and exit. All this makes you press against Nanuk almost scared.

"It's okay, child. Nobody wants to hurt you, they're all engaged in trade, see?" the man tells you by pointing to the various funny characters from one side of the corridor to the other, exchanging small or large wooden, metal and other objects crates.

Finally, you arrive in a room with a vaulted ceiling made up of many topaz-colored glass that makes the place of yellow and ocher colors shine. Inside there are some diners, none have a vaguely human appearance. There's only one that reminds you of a human being, or almost. Or maybe you're wrong, I mean, you can't see his face, he's from behind, what's clear is that he's wearing a helmet and a cloak.

"Wait here, sit down." Nanuk tells you "NK – 841 stay with her." he adds and then walks away towards the creature, who knows maybe it's a droid!

You sit and watch the man talk to the thing, you can't hear what they say to each other. You just look worriedly at your robot friend "I hope everything is fine." you whisper, the robot turns towards you, but the only answer it gives you are beep beep sounds and you smile if you think the only company is this robot, Nanuk and probably another robot that now is watching you, it has already done it at least three times and it's making you nervous. Is this a good sign? Why did Nanuk say we need him? For weapons? Do you have one?

You find yourself swallowing.

The android turns back to Nanuk who is talking, you see him. You have no idea what they are saying to each other, could it be that this android is also a trader? If so, what kind of negotiation does Nanuk want to do? Nanuk hasn't told you exactly why you need him, but you are getting impatient and are about to walk toward them, when it's Nanuk who walks back toward you and the android turns his back on you again.

"What's going on?" you ask him worriedly making your gaze linger on the mysterious being.

"It's all right, we'll go with him," he replies.

"Um, wait what about our spacecraft? Why? Who is it?" you are increasingly confused.

"Princess, our spacecraft can't travel for much longer in hyperspace, but his" alludes to the android's spaceship "can," he answers your first question.

"And why should it help us? Who is it to us? Is it one of our allies -- someone who owes a debt to my father…?" you ask still puzzled.

"He…" he's about to answer you, but suddenly a commotion is heard that makes all the diners raise their heads, dust begins to fall from the ceiling "They're already here," Nanuk says "quick," he adds grabbing your hand abruptly and pulling you away.

The diners escape by disappearing behind various doors, you two - followed by your robot friend - enter the same door you entered through, you and Nanuk run, but you don't head for your spacecraft but, once you enter the corridor, you take the first door to the left, you find yourself on an airstrip/takeoff, you seek Nanuk's gaze, who instead pulls out what looks like a weapon "What's that?" you ask frightened "But who are we running from? What's going on, Nanuk?"

Suddenly strange white-armored creatures start firing at you, "Run!" shouts Nanuk as he resumes running and from time to time turns to fire toward those mysterious beings, "Don't stop, run!" he exclaims as he stops.

"NANUK!" you call to him, "What are you doing?"

"Princess, it has been an honor to serve you and your family," he says looking fleetingly into your eyes "I saw you being born and would have liked to have seen you arrive at your destination, NK - 841 from now on you answer only to her." you look at him frightened "Now run, I will hold them off as long as I can. The spaceship is up ahead. Go,"

"But--" you are about to say.

"Go!" he shouts and then turns to face those creatures that are incessantly firing at you, you see nothing else because you turn your head and run, you see green laser beams hitting the earth a short distance from you, dust rising, you run, but you don't know where since you see nothing. The spaceship Nanuk was talking about is not there.

"It won't stop," replies a cavernous voice.

You are almost at the end of your strength when a spaceship appears from above, you stop, breathless. The spaceship with a puff opens the hatch to allow you to enter which you immediately do. You don't know if it's the right one, you don't know if you've done it right, but you get in, indeed both you and NK - 841 get in. When you are inside, the hatch closes and the spaceship leaves, you watch the earth move farther and farther away from you, you see Nanuk over there.

You see him fighting again and again, he's always been a fighter, but now he's alone. Alone against dozens of those white beings, you lean your hands on the porthole and watch, that's all you can do. You almost scream when you see one of those laser beams pierce him, "No, no, no, NANUK!" you scream clapping your hands against the porthole, "How do you stop this thing?" you almost scream looking around and looking for levers or switches, but there is nothing.

When you turn around, you realize you are on the right spaceship with the strange thing on board.

[paragonrobits]

"maybe people like star wars' Galactic Empire more than the rebel alliance now because they've grown to perhaps desire order over uncertainty' we're talking about people fanboying over the faction literally based visually and politically on the actual literal Nazis and they consistently either go something about cool vibes or more unsettling stuff like 'well ACTUALLY comitting genocide as a show of force is a good thing because it keeps order' and at that point their political alignment, as well as the inability for a group to be too evil for them to align with, is pretty clear

also if you're willing to side with a blatantly, even STUPIDLY evil faction just because they have fashionable uniforms or cool guns, kind of does not imply great things about how easily your loyalty can be bought???

[litcityblues]

'Echoes of Honor' --A Review

Hey, remember when I reviewed In Enemy Hands and said that Honor Among Enemies felt a lot like a bridge novel to something else in the series? Well In Enemy Hands was definitely that, but Echoes of Honor dials everything up to eleven. Don't get me wrong: all of the books in the series have been good. I would genuinely say that it's a series that gets better the deeper you get into it, but Echoes of Honor is the absolute pinnacle of this series so far. (New prediction for those keeping scores at home: In Enemy Hands, Echoes of Honor, and Ashes of Victory are going to be the best three-book arc in this series.)

Echoes of Honor starts, shockingly, with footage of Honor's execution being broadcast on galactic newsfeeds. Witnessed by Honor's parents on Grayson, it leaves the Star Kingdom of Manticore with a grim determination to avenge her and sends Grayson into an absolute fury. Funerals are held on both planets and an empty coffin is interred in the Royal Cathedral. The first part of the book deals with the immediate fallout of Honor's purported death. Her parents mourn along with her household staff on Grayson- including her faithful steward, Mac. The question of succession to her steading is a tricky one, but ultimately, her parents- who had always planned on having more children, eventually- because, thanks to the genetic prolong treatments, they could- decide to have them-- but only after some contemplation of their own.

What no one knows- but the reader does- is that Honor is very much alive and well and on the Prison Planet Hades and starts formulating plans with her crew to find some allies and get off the planet.

Behind enemy lines, we see Esther McQueen continue to build her power structure as Haven deals with the fallout of Cordelia Ransom's death and the explosion of the Tepes-- believed also to have killed Honor and the rest of the prisoners. Esther is formulating a plan to hit Manticoran Alliance hard and in places they're not expecting and wants the help of Admirals Theisman, Tourville and Giscard to help her-- all three Admirals that had fallen out of favor with the Ministry of State Security, formerly headed by Ransom. She gets the Admirals that she wants-- and we find out some interesting things: Tourville and Foraker have kept silent on the footage on her console that seemed to indicate that someone could have survived the explosion of the Tepes. Giscard is having an affair with his People's Commissioner, Eloise Prichard. But nevertheless: the Peep Offensive pushes forward.

On Hades, Honor has found some allies-- including what might be my favorite callback to earlier books, the father, presumed dead of Tomas Ramirez. (I wish I could remember which book, but Tomas is a Marine, from San Martin and hates the Peeps. His Dad Jesus is pretty much the same, but older and really hates the Peeps.) They put together a plan to take over the main command and control center of the prison planet and set about figuring out what to do next. The Prisoners-- many of whom have been on Hades for decades want some measure of accountability against their jailers- for obvious reasons, but Honor is not interested in vigilante justice. She wants them to be put on trial-- but there's a hitch: she puts them on trial using Peep Laws, because she doesn't want to hand State Security a potential propaganda victory. She also has to figure out how to acquire shipping to get nearly half a million prisoners off the planet and home, a job made that much harder by the start of the Peep Offensive, entangling Alliance forces in a frantic defense and making it highly unlikely they would be able to send assistance to evacuate everyone.

Hey, do you remember Alice Truman? (She's one of the characters that sort of wanders in and out of these books, the same way Michelle Henke does.) She's been 'up to something' and what that something is sure seems like an aircraft carrier in space, except instead of fighter jets, she's stocked with LACs and when things kick off on the military front, they kick ass. (Also, White Haven, still riddled with guilt, is hounding his superiors to get his fleet fully put together so he can do something with it and when things kick off for him, he sends the whole damn fleet on a two-jump, incredibly risky, insane amount of tonnage hyperspace hop through to Manticore (from Grayson) and then onto Basilisk. Also very badass, even if it doesn't prevent the Allies from taking heavy losses in the system.)

Honor and company, having concluded that they're on their own start acquiring ships bit by bit, and eventually their luck appears to run out as the disappearances start to be noted and a sizable force concludes that something has gone badly wrong in Hades and sends forces enough to put down any potential takeover. Honor being Honor lures them into a trap, gets all the ships she needs, and with her 'Elysian Space Navy' heads back home to inform a stunned White Haven and the rest of the Alliance that reports of her death, were, in fact, exaggerated.

Overall: I love how this book is structured-- we go from non-Hades (Peep, Manticore, Grayson, points between) to Hades sections alternating throughout and it just works. The whole story takes place over the course of two years, which feels about right to me-- it's time enough for news of Honor's death to get out, for people closest to her to mourn and start to move on, but also gives her and her crew enough time to find allies, make plans, take over and do what they need to do. The timeline is just right. The structure is perfect.

I get that you're always going to see Honor Harrington front and center in these books- it is, after all, kind of her series. But these books also become exponentially more interesting to me when Weber pulls his focus out just a bit wider and we see more of the Honorverse at large. I like exploring the political tensions in the Alliance. I like seeing the Graysons muddle through what to do about her steading. I like that we get to see more of her parents than we've ever seen before. It makes the universe deeper, richer, the stakes higher and more meaningful.

I've often thought that naming her Honor was just a bit too on the nose, but you know what? I don't care. She's awesome. She brings people up and doesn't tear them down. I don't think she'd like the notion that she inspires devotion and loyalty amongst the people that follow her and I think she would be the first to tell you that 'there's no I in team' and that's probably what I find most compelling about the character. She doesn't make it all about herself, in fact you could argue that her character flaw is a tendency to go hard in the opposite direction, even past the point of what seems reasonable and achievable, but she always seems to get there in the end.

Best book of the series so far, hands down. Can't wait for the next volume. My Grade: **** out of ****

[antianakin]

Thank you for responding. Maybe I went a little overboard, but my point is that I cannot stand Separatist apologists and Imperial apologists equally who pretend like they did nothing wrong or make excuses for their crimes against the galaxy.

Oh for sure! I don't think you went overboard, you've been following me long enough to know I've got some strong opinions of my own and dealing with fandom discourse about it can turn a more casual or neutral opinion into something FAR stronger sometimes lol.

I certainly don't agree with anyone who would try to claim the Separatists are heroes and ignore that, while the politicians themselves never intended to start a war and did not personally commit the atrocities done in their name, the Separatist movement involved more than just those politicians. It was ALSO run by a Sith and the Corporate Alliance who were all too willing to start a galactic civil war and commit atrocities and then lie about it all. I think that's what makes the Separatist movement both so interesting and so tragic is that, in some ways, it WAS this good intentioned attempt to create a better system of governance, but in other ways it was just an empty shell of a movement that never really meant anything at all.

The Empire on the other hand has none of that, it's just evil. Imperial apologists have missed much of the whole point of Star Wars. At least I can KIND-OF see where a Separatist apologist might be coming from and how they might come to an opinion like that, but Imperial apologists? Nope. There's no excuses for what's being done in this time period and the people who chose to support it. It's just evil, end of story.

[magnetarbeam]

Star Wars Technical Worldbuilding Notes 4

The Malevolence's ion web thing is a mystery in terms of what it was actually supposed to do. That ship didn't accomplish anything any other warship its size couldn't. If anything, it's a waste of energy because of how much of the web just travels past a target that's hit.

All I've really been able to come up with for how that weapon might be uniquely useful is against planetary shields. It'd have to be attached to a much bigger ship, but theoretically if you put enough power into that, you could take down the shielding across an entire hemisphere in a single shot. Still a very energy-intensive novelty weapon at best - the standard doctrine of a concentrated barrage to form a local breach and landing ground forces through the breach exists for a reason - but I can see it coming in handy against a layout of ground defenses that planned on an attacking fleet being able to breach the shield at only a few specific points.

Headcanonically, conventionally armed Subjugator-class variants did end up as the main CIS line cruiser for the rest of that war, because it's also just a better design for a warship. I admittedly have yet to do proper volume calcs for either of them, but no matter how many reactors and cannons and military-grade power conduits you can fit in a Lucrehulk, the firing arcs are still abysmal in comparison.

Fortifications on planets can inherently be much higher-powered than ships, because there's much more space for reactors and neutrino radiator banks and shield generators. The limit on the fuel capacity of ships is the mass of hypermatter, which is also of no concern to a planet.

Ecumenopolis worlds would be the hardest to take, and would probably require specialized tactics, because the amount of territory you have to cover is a matter of volume and not just surface area.

Shields should be present on all planets with access to galactic standard technology. Not necessarily shields that can stand up to a turbolaser bombardment, but they need to at least stop asteroids.

The relative prominence of Mon Calamari compared to Kuat in New Republic and then Galactic Alliance warship construction is something I wonder about sometimes.

Kuat, of course, has their giant fucking system ring and stuff, and is historically the dominant starship manufacturer. But I wonder if the political prominence of Mon Calamari due to their contributions from the Rebellion onward might lead to them getting more new contracts.

Come to think of it, I like the thought of whatever corporate entity probably handles the Mon Cal yards having subsidiary facilities specifically on other ocean planets.

Or maybe the Mon Cal yards are just completely nationalized. I can kinda see the Galactic Alliance, at least, wanting at least one major shipyard to be under their direct control, to limit potential interference from corrupt corporate executives. I don't think I've ever heard anything explicitly contradicting that.

Anything you might hear about pre-Endor Mon Cal designs, which are converted civilian stuff, being superior to their purpose-built Imperial warship counterparts is pure bullshit, for, I'd think, obvious reasons.

Realistically, I do think the New Republic would have started to show original purpose-built warship designs earlier than we see, and as I've talked about before, that's the niche that I headcanonically have brought in the Starhawk for (minus the super-tractor-beam thing, because I think it's dumb as shit). I've also thought of moving the introduction of the MC90 design generation a couple years earlier, like maybe 8 ABY, for similar reasons.

I think the Starhawk Mark II only exists in disney canon because of the stats in Armada, but I can maybe extrapolate it in here as a successor that the NR came up for the sake of quickly coming up with something to pay KDY for after they took the planet, to keep the company happy.

U-Wings also exist in my headcanon because I just like them, and a random piece of worldbuilding I've devised about it is that they're technically organized as NR/GA Marine Corps assets.

The way I understand it, the general basis for the NR and GA naval structure - four to nine numbered fleets at any given time, and most major engagements involve at least one of those being committed in full - comes from stuff set up in Black Fleet Crisis, where the new Fifth Fleet is the centerpiece of the plot and stuff. Some of the reference books elaborated on that in earlier periods, laying out some of the movements and positions of the First through Fourth in the first two years or so after Endor - but it's not as widespread as a point of reference in most of the New Republic-era books. I'd be pretty curious to learn what fleet Han's anti-Zsinj task force was drawn from, for example.

[desultory-novice]

Another Lightning Round!

This time, we're answering:

-Borb Feet -Shadow Dedede and The Mirror World's Dream Fountain -Kirby Royalty -Soul of Kirby?! -Forgiving the "unforgivable" Dream Friends (a lo~ng post for an old ask!)

Hee hee! I'll tell you what, anon, at first, I wasn't sure how to take this comment (something I mentioned on stream) because getting good at drawing feet on the internet is... well...you know!

But given I myself started this by pointing out how bad I was at it with Galacta Knight, I really do appreciate the compliment! Next on my list.... borb hands. I've seen so many people draw Kirby's n-nubs (?) in ways that really make them look so marshmallow-y and fun!

-

Hello?! That idea of the Star Rod never getting repaired after Shadow Dedede broke it?! Fantastic! Imagine it drying up, and of course, the effects something like that would have on the mirror world!

(Has anyone else stumbled across that gorgeous but haunting series of "bad end" pictures a certain Kirby fan artist did on Twitter? I remember one had Dedede with a dried up Dream Fountain. That's very much what I'm visualizing here!)

Now, I vague~ly recall that there's some debate about the "darkness in his heart" part of the Shadow Dedede pause screen?  That the English version says it is Shadow Dedede who has to overcome his darkness whereas in the original, it is OUR Dedede who has to overcome his "shadow" that being Shadow Dedede.

...But just because it isn't saying that Shadow Dedede is trying to overcome something doesn't mean he doesn't represent a painful mark in both Dedede's histories. And such a "mistake" (unknown at the time) is an excellent possibility!

Lastly, thank you! The steady influx of lore and theories everyone drops into my inbox reminds me of my favorite parts of fandom in the old days and is a major treat!

-

This is NEAT! While they may not have known about each other in the past, you bring up a great point that after so many games, these various planets (dimensions? in the case of Fluff) are forging bonds with each other. Everyone likes the Galactic Star Alliance from the anime, right? What's interesting is that we kind of have a basis for such an "alliance" forming in our current Kirby-game verse!

Kirby has helped these monarchs get in contact with each other, becoming a link across multiple planets. So I think the idea of them getting together and talking now, in the present~post-game of Forgotten Land is a possibility! Let each other know if any suspicious activity is happening or if everyone is still doing all right.

Although that reminds me of something that came up in the stream... Since King Dedede is the "self-proclaimed" ruler of Dream Land... is there an ACTUAL ruler of Dream Land/Popstar waiting in the wings? Waiting for their return? Or sealed away even? (D-Dark Nebula, is that you?)

Either way, a meeting between those 5 sounds both intense and fun! I would love to come back to this idea with a sketch or illustration of some kind!

-

I'm digging into the backlog for some of these. Also, I can't believe I never answered this one?! Sorry if this ask is too old even for you, @emeraldcoloredwinter

(I'm also sorry in case I did in fact answer it in the past and can't find it - because Tumblr's search is really unreliable. If I repeat myself here, I'm sorry. If not and this turns out to be relevant...great!)

Frankly, I would love to see all kinds of soul lore expanded upon in future games. Partly because I have my headcanons as to why Sectonia/Pres. Haltmann died for realz versus why Marx and Magolor came back and if we get more tidbits, I can come closer to completing my conspiracy corkboard!!

(As well as figure out just where Drawcia lays in the current state of "canon." And maybe figure out some stuff about Zero, Zero 2 and the Dark Matters and what happened to them!)

On the one hand, I feel like Void did a rea~lly bang up job at feeling like you were battling the soul of Kirby. Or at least "a Kirby." I mean, seeing Kirby's face appear on Void, with all those childish movement patterns and that smile before defeat?

But Void was also composed of a variety of thoughts and feelings, so it wasn't exactly our Kirby. Then we've got the Shadow Kirby battles in Kirby Fighters 2, which also come somewhat close in concept, as you're fighting someone with the same ability set as you. That would be another good way to do it, I think.

But it still doesn't quite scratch that itch, does it? ... Now, I feel silly that I can't remember if this is a real thing or I'm just combining a bunch of games in my head (I-I may be old but I'm decades away from the point where I should have to fear being senile!!) but watching some Castlevania longplays... there was a part of one of the games where you go through one of the old castles, right? Maybe it wasn't in black and white, but it is in my memories.

And Kirby had a part like that too, in one of the games! At least, I think it did...? (Okay, maybe I AM going senile...)

:cough: That aside, something like those visuals above when combined with the feelings evoked by the 8-bit nostalgia portion of Void Termina's The Star Conquering Traveler Suite...

I can only imagine it would be sad. Maybe it would involve some kind of sacrifice or some kind of origin story. A time-travel game even? Something that takes us back to our favorite hero's beginnings. Despite it inevitably being THE penultimate fight, I can't picture it being a big dramatic battle so much as one of those interactive cutscenes, or something with never-seen-before-now gameplay elements. But it would feel like a true goodbye to the Kirby series. Oh, it might be able to continue on past that, just like things didn't end after the Star Allies completion picture either.

...But expect a lot of fears (and tears!) of something happening when it finally did.

Personally, I can't help but think Kirby's Soul would look like Retro Kirby or Popopo from Twinkle Popo. It might not even be called "Kirby's Soul" but have a more archetypical name like "Soul of a Traveler" or "Soul of Youth." 

...Soul of the Spring Breeze.

-

Another super old one. Gah, me and my slowness... The sad thing is, I had nine~ty percent of this written out a while ago but just didn't know how to finish it. I'm so sorry about that, @vexx-ation !

It was a really good ask though and I'm glad I gave it another shot. Now then, I think that in large part, this would boil down to who was most harmed by those characters and in what ways!

-

[Dark Meta Knight]

Dark Meta Knight is the biggest mystery because... DMK refuses (or can't) talk to anyone so we know nothing about his feelings. And we don't even know how he returned the first time after death (?)

Meta Knight is the one DMK has arguably hurt the most (excluding maybe Kirby) but I feel like Meta Knight is also the one who needs nothing from DMK to understand forgive them. It really all depends on where Dark Meta Knight is coming from. Was DMK a willing agent in Dark Mind's takeover? Then Meta Knight would be more hard on/untrusting of his shadow for certain. But being his mirror counterpart, I think he would take it as a sign of something lacking in himself. That he is only one step away from making such a turn. But if you, like me, think that the placement of certain objects and events in Amazing Mirror (Radish Ruins as DMK's "stage" and Shadow Kirby showing up one last time before you face off against DMK) are indicative that something more subtle is going on, Meta Knight may not even require an apology from DMK at all. Either DMK was manipulated or was attempting to manipulate the situation in the Mirror World's favor. In which case Meta would just silently nod and go on with his day.

Then there's King Dedede, who, at least in his own parallel mode, was seemingly attacked at random by DMK. That certainly puts them off on a wrong start, but I also think that Dedede would be able to eventually laugh it off and compare it some of his Meta Knight's more belligerent actions in the past (something that would probably fluster Meta Knight, as he wouldn't expect that comparison, mirror counterpart or no.) IE: I find it hard to believe the guy with a wrestling ring in his castle would hold an ambush against somebody for long, especially as he won.

It would take Bandee probably a bit to come to terms with the scary version of someone he most likely respects, but DMK has his cute (?) side too (like in his idle animation) so I think Bandee could come to accept DMK, especially after both Meta Knight and Dedede express that they no longer hold any hard feelings toward the dark knight.

Kirby would probably be the closest thing to a "holdout" here, only because Dark Meta DID ambush two of his friends (depending on the timelines) and he'd want to know that's not going to happen again. Afterwards though? DMK's right to be a part of the group is never questioned again!

-

[Susie]

Susie... ahhh, Susie. Let's just note that all the classic Susie discourse disclaimers go here and remind everyone once more that they're on a Susie-friendly blog and to some of you, what I am going to say may come off as being exceptionally "light" on Susie's crimes. It is what it is, however. If you want a brutal takedown of Susie, there are dozens of other blogs who will give it, I am certain. I can only go in-depth on things from my view of my Kirby-verse.

In random order: Bandee was the only one to not be incapacitated for large chunks of Planet Robobot's story and I believe that were the game to be remade in the modern style (or even had it been released on more powerful hardware than the 3DS) Bandee would have been a second player character just like in Forgotten Land. And if we assume that of him, then we can assume Bandee would have been exposed to Susie's entire plotline same as Kirby.

Bandee is, at least in the novel-verse (and it's not a bad HC in general) the most empathetic member of the Dream Team. Bandee can sympathize with and care about just about anyone. And Bandee might have been wondering if there was something going on with Susie before even Kirby started to see the cracks in the secretary's facade of corporate perfection.

While Bandee wouldn't like the things she, her father, and the HWC have done to Popstar, I think that once he sees where she's come from, his own anger would be tempered down. That everything reverts at the end (ironic (?) that everything is almost "magically healed" except the Haltmann's shattered family bonds) would be enough of a relief for Bandee that I think he could move on to looking at Susie as just a person. (And isn't he the one in the novel who gives her the pocketwatch back or am I mis-remembering that?)

I actually think Susie "as a friend" could be more intimidating to Bandee that Susie as an enemy. She's a sympathetic enemy. As a friend, she might be a considered too "extra" for the small warrior Dee! XD

On that note...I don't know why, but in most cases, I just see King Dedede as being very forgiving toward people in trouble. Oh, he will grumble about it to no end! But I don't see him EVER hurting anyone while they're down.

Of course, Dedede was also unconscious for 99% of Planet Robobot. Was he even awake when his DNA was stolen? Does he know? I mean, not knowing wouldn't be great at all, but I can't help but think that more than being harvested and bottled, his biggest concern, just based on his priorities, would be that his castle got destroyed AGAIN. Why can't the poor man keep a castle?! He didn't even do anything this time!! (Even the Halberd made it!) So, yeah, imagine a confrontation with Susie and Dedede and Susie tries to imagine all the things Dedede is going to call her out for and no, he's just upset about his castle getting wrecked. Susie is surprised he even cares about that "dinky, dusty old thing" and thus, a shouting match begins.

But again, I don't think it would last for too long. I think the things Dedede and Susie would clash on would be petty things. Dedede is pretty manly in his interests and Susie is very girly. They're blue and pink, even. I think Dedede would forget or just plain ol' not care about Susie's more "human rights" crimes and make MOUNTAINS out of the little things. Although they do share a love of machinery, and that might be something that would bring peace to the VERY petty disagreements. At least until Susie chastises Dedede for using "old parts" while Dedede goes on an old man rant about how those old parts are three times as reliable as all this easy to break new stuff! (Dedede is the equivalent of the guy who put his first car together by hand. Susie is the "born plugged in" type.) So, yes, they fight, but not for the reasons you think. ^^;

...As for Meta Knight, I think countless paragraphs have already been written on these two and most people know where I fall about now. Meta Knight, whether we saw it happen on screen or not, was able to figure out what Susie's deal was faster than anyone else, and while he didn't care for having his autonomy stolen (not to mention, I can't imagine he liked all the bulk of his un-asked for cybernetic upgrades. Mecha Knight is a tank. A stark contrast to Meta Knight's fast "here and away" style.) But if anyone in the entire FRANCHISE understands that sometimes your morals take a backseat for your goals, it would be him and now that the dust has cleared and the HWC was on the losing side with Susie as it's sole survivor (speaking brutally) there's no reason to be angry with her anymore. That said, I believe that, much like happens in the fandom, Meta Knight probably gets questioned fairly often (by people who know) if he's upset at Susie, with some not believing its possible he wouldn't be. But I really think to him, it's just something that happens when you're pushed into a corner.

What Meta Knight would care about is not what Susie has done in her past (to him) but what she does now.

...That said, I think he will find an "excuse" to be somewhere else when she looks at him with stars in her eyes and a wrench in her hand. (I am a firm believer that the Star Allies scene is meant to be taken comically, not seriously. I have nothing against Mecha Knight unwanted modification angst but that scene should not be your sole "proof" such a thing exists.)

And of course, as for Kirby, Kirby has already accepted Susie. He ran to her side when she was injured. He agreed with her request to stop Star Dream, and he accepted her invader armor. There's nothing else to forgive. Acceptance is freely given.

Lastly...

-

[Marx]

Marx is the silly one. Very silly. I think, on my first draft of this post (I made the choice to write it again from scratch rather than base it on my previous version, so that it was up to date with my current feelings) I took the concept of Marx and forgiveness very seriously, but then I booted up Star Stacker (SNES) again and remembered that the story began because one day, Dedede saw a sparkling star flying through the sky and decided, "I'm gonna shoot it with a cannon!" So, in case this needs to be restated...

The people of Dream Land are absolutely buck wild.

Probably, due to the comparisons with his spiritual successor Magolor, there's been a casual attempt to try and make a bigger deal out of the "ship in a bottle" events of Milky Way Wishes.

I don't want to be a hypocrite here. I'm a huge fan of "Let's try to expand on Marx's backstory, personality, and motivations using every tiny scrap we've got" and I do so relatively shamelessly. I love the idea that there might have been buckets and buckets of angst and pathos behind his decision to trick Kirby into bringing Galactic Nova into Popstar's orbit so he could kick our beloved puffball into the darkness of space and wish to make the planet his own...

...but do I think that those acts in a vacuum are on the same scale as what all the other big, bad, last bosses have done?

Not really.

Well, not like the modern villains. Marx is a bit more like Dark Meta Knight or Daroach in the breadth of his bad guy-ness. His act harmed very few people in practice. It could have gone on to harm more eventually, had it succeeded. It might have even been devastating! Similar to if Dark Mind's reach was allowed to expand into the peaceful non-Mirror Popstar. Or if Dark Daroach went on to rule as the second coming of the Lord of the Netherworld!

But... it wasn't. The clown's dreams lasted only a few brief minutes. To the people on the surface, Nova exploding probably looked like no more than a shooting star. ("Everyone make a wish!")

...The only person Marx needs forgiveness from, then, is Kirby. And that is the story of several hundred different fanfics and fan theories and frankly, I enjoy all of them because the ~potential~ dynamic these two characters share is one of my favorite things in the series.

And, leaving the "middle" of that journey for we, the fan creators to come up with, I believe we can at least say that, in the end, the two seem to have made up successfully.

...Now, there's still the question of would the rest of the Dream Team LIKE Marx or forgive him upon hearing what he did! I think Meta Knight would be wary of him for a lot of reasons. He's unexpected and uncontrollable. He hopped in to attack the group during the Star Allies credit sequence. But Meta Knight also (in an alternate timeline) thought wishing on Galactic Nova for a ridiculously selfish wish was a perfectly sane thing to do so I gather he would have little issue with Marx's ambitions, if not his actions. And as for his attempted murder of Kirby, Meta Knight is :cough: also guilty of that so yeahhhh. Maybe he doesn't LOVE the jester's antics or even tolerate them, but he wouldn't decry them from a moral high ground...?

I personally love the idea that King Dedede is headache-inducingly familiar with Marx. I like the idea that Marx might have even gotten his title of "jester" thanks to King Dedede. According to the Dedede Encyclopedia entries on twitter, Dedede had no idea about Marx's attempted takeover of Popstar nor did he know about Marx's "true form." Thus, it's easy to imagine that to Dedede, Marx is nothing more than another cute, silly resident of Dream Land, like the Waddle Dees. He may even treat Marx with the same paternal kindness he gives the Waddle Dees. At least until Marx goes a step too far!

TLDR, I love the version of their relationship as implied in the Kirby Storybooks, where Marx is one of "those troublesome kids" who teams up with Kirby to play harmless pranks on Dedede. It's so crazy wholesome, something that you can't always say about Marx!

...Lastly, Bandee... Oh, empathetic little Bandee. I feel like Bandee would probably be the one to eye Marx the most critically. Because Bandee has eyes on the ground level to NOT be fooled like Dedede nor so extreme that he can't hold Marx accountable like Meta Knight. I think Bandee is probably the closest to Kirby in seeing Marx for who Marx really is, but doesn't have the "complex" relationship Kirby and Marx does that inspires Kirby to forgive him no matter what he does.

Not that I think they fight or don't get along, necessarily. (In fact, the sudden spike (?) in MarDee - am I spelling that right? - shippers has rekindled my interesting in their dynamic) But I do think that while Marx is giving everyone his "Who? Meeee?" eyes, Bandee is off on the side giving Marx a narrow-eyed look of "You don't fool me."

But again, I think that honesty may be something that could turn into a kind of closeness they don't have with others! Plus, biased, but I also completely love, love, love the idea that the one Waddle Dee who is tired of being "just a Waddle Dee" and the one Noddy who is tired of being "just a Noddy" have an understanding that none of the naturally over-powered residents of Popstar can ever understand.

It's possible to write them as rivals or enemies. These two, quite frankly, could be very cool together in a variety of ways!