#loth wolves man

[liatorii]

AU where Kanan comes back as a Loth wolf. That’s it, that the post.

Click read more if you dare:

[inquisitor-apologist]

If the Ahsoka series was any good we would’ve had a story about Sabine, Zeb, and Ahsoka (+ some others) slowly unpacking the relationship between the Purrgil, Mortis, the Loth-wolves, and Lothal, and the season would’ve ended with them at last going into deep space after Ezra as Sabine says “follow the Purrgil”. But we can’t have nice things now can we.

[eorzeashan]

Eight's wolf-parent was affectionately dubbed Toasettee, her nickname "Toast" for her lightly browned fur color. She was a large female echa'olm of unknown breeding who raised him alongside her own family and looked after him as one of her own, if not her favorite amongst the litter, always a bit overbearing in her care and maintaining her little runt. It was always Eight's fear that the tasuba plague had claimed her and her family as its victims, so he never searched for Toast after joining the Empire; but out of a keen sense of loneliness and loss after Intelligence's fall, he ventured back to Eshan to know the truth of what befell her. Losing his family and friends on all sides to galactic schisms was heartbreaking-- he didn't need to lose more.

Amazingly enough, wandering into Toast's former territory, he was greeted by a dozen toast-colored pups-- and an aging Toasettee herself, who hadn't changed her winning smile since the decades he'd seen her. Toast had survived and flourished long after his own family had left the region, and she was just as happy to receive her former runt as she was many, many years ago. In her mind, Eight was still the tiny Echani who buried himself in her fur many winters ago, and the fact that he'd returned so much larger was simply irrelevant in the face of her finally returned affection. To her, he was neither an agent nor a soldier. Not even a sword. Just a lost pup, starving, cold, and alone. That would not change. To say Eight's tears flowed freely would be an understatement; to say he was home would be more accurate.

Every winter thereafter, he returned to Eshan to help raise Toast's young, as she did once for his mother and father. In some form, this is his Life Day; whereas his life has been nothing but a deluge of death, this corner of the wild, far and away from the suffering of man and its consequences, is his haven.

[byfulcrums]

"You think you can take whatever you want. Things you didn’t make, didn’t earn, things you don’t understand." The story of an indigenous boy fighting against a colonizer to get his home back. A teenager telling the man who is destroying his world that because it is so much more complex and important than what he sees, he will never get to have it.

Ezra's story is about connection, with all living beings: loth cats and wolves, purrgils, people, etc. And it ends with nature reclaiming what has always been its from the machine that is the Empire. It ends with the people getting their home back from the people who occupied it

And here's the thing: Ezra doesn't know a galaxy without the influence of the Empire. The history of the Old Republic, the tales of the Jedi, they're all fairytales to him. Yet he still fights for it; he fights for something he hasn't yet seen, fights for what's right, for his people and his family. He fights for freedom even if he doesn't know what it feels like

And it's this determination, this endless hope, that drives others to do the same as him. He, with only his words, is able to make things different. It challenges the whole "I'm just one person, I won't change anything" belief. Because Ezra is just one person, and one person can't do much on their own; the war is lost if it's only you fighting it

But Ezra frees Lothal. Ezra banishes Thrawn. Ezra inspires others to fight back. Ezra's sacrifice was not meaningless, and it will always be remembered. He will always be remembered

[dalekofchaos]

The more I think about how Thrawn was presented in Ahsoka, the more I don't like it because it does not line up with who Thrawn is in the canon Thrawn novel trilogy or even in Rebels.

The more I think about it, supporting the First Order does not seem in character for Thrawn. He wanted a strong Empire in order to protect the galaxy against other, darker threats, and destroying the remnants of the Empire by encouraging the First Order to fight the New Republic seems like moving backwards.

We also know that (a) there's something powerful left behind in the distant galaxy where Thrawn was exiled, (b) Ezra's force abilities lean into emotional connections - with the Purrgil, Loth-wolves, etc., and (c) the Grysk, as a threat to the Galaxy, rely on emotional control over their client species.

Thrawn not noticing Ezra on his ship would be out of character. Thrawn orchestrating an escape that returns him to the Galaxy, leaves three Jedi and a Mandalorian behind to fight whatever is in the exile galaxy, and brings Ezra Bridger back to the Galaxy to serve as a weapon against the Grysk would be completely in character -- and the fact that Thrawn's tactics tend to look suboptimal from the outside until he explains the logic would explain why he looked so ineffective trying to return to the Galaxy.

Thrawn wants Ezra back in the Galaxy, and season 2 will show Thrawn's return to the Chiss. We should see Admiral Ar’alani, Vanto and Faro, but that's just wishful thinking on my part because at this point I don't think Filoni understands why we like Thrawn, because the man writes him like a mustache twirling villain instead of the morally grey nuanced character Zahn originally wrote. But then again, this is the same man who turned Grievous from a literal Jedi murder machine into a pathetic joke. So it's no wonder Thrawn became what he did in Ahsoka.

[padawansuggest]

Ok, so I was supposed to draw one small fanart, but I got carried away and created an au ^^''

Jedi cats Au

(Disaster lineage edition)

Yoda: Small green cat with tufts of white fur on his tail tip and across his spine. He loves being cuddled by the younglings as he tells them stories(basically their therapy, grandfather cat) and going on occasional trips to Dagobah for meditation (at least, that's his excuse). What he really does there is hunting frogs(he claims they're good for his bones) and camping out in the swamp(the whole trip traumatizing Dooku in the process).

Dooku: Huge white cat with brittle yellow eyes and spiked-up fur. He doesn't change much in his cat form, but when he does, he spends most of his time sunning himself on the council chairs(you can't blame him, cats can't resist such a good sunning spot), skulks around the temple corridors looking elegant and graceful, and steals sith holocrons out of nowhere so he could 'study' them(they were later confiscated and thrown out of the temple when Qui found out). He never lets anybody pet him except for Sifo, Jocasta, Qui, and sometimes Yoda(his adoptive father figure), or Obi-wan(his grandson whom he's secretly proud of)

Qui-Gon: Greyish brown cat with long silky fur and leaf-green eyes. He mostly hangs out on the temple's huge tree or goes on trips to Lothal to have tea with Loth-cats and wolves. (The Loth-cats kind of worship him as their 'god', and the wolves invite him and his apprentice for night strolls and 'singing to the moon' meetings)

He also randomly adopts kittens(padawans; in this case, Obi-wan, Anakin, and recently Ahsoka)

Obi-wan: Small auburn cat with darker splotches and grey-blue eyes. He's smaller than his apprentice but twice the sassiness. Cody loves to cuddle him and stroke his soft fur for hours while talking about how his day went(Obi doesn't mind^^). As a kitten, he constantly kept Qui company while he studied at night(at least that's what he says when Qui complains about his student/son being annoyingly cute and knocking over his mug of tea on purpose every five minutes).

Anakin: Brown tabby emo with sky-blue eyes. He hates sand, is very chaotic in many ways, and has a talent for annoying Obi(he actually passes down his 'abilities' to Ahsoka, who becomes more like her master). He also holds a record of being the most troublesome padawan in existence.

Despite all this, Padme finds him adorable (he often sneaks out of the temple in his cat form to meet his gf), but Obi-wan and Ahsoka know better(sure, he's nice and charming, yet can also be pretty stupid and reckless).

Ahsoka: Sleek, lithe, orange cat with white tail and blue stripes. Her Lekku still exists in her cat form as well as her facial markings(the Lekku are used to communicate with other cats or Jedi, and also play an important part in balancing their bodies while they leap agily or pelt across obstacles at high speed). 

Toruguti cats have very short, smooth fur on their bodies(the pelts are mostly an orangish hue, with blue stripes appearing on the back of their flanks as they get older), but their tails are often white, bushy and flecked with blue stripes.

She's one of the 501'th's favorites because she often hangs out with Rex and the clones(sharing stories, playing games... etc)(the clones especially love placing random things on her head until she moves). As her species are carnivores, she has an instinct for hunting small animals(sometimes leaving her half-dead prey on Anakin's desk like the cheeky adorable prankster she is).

I might upload some headcanons and designs btw

Have a nice day ^^

😭 NOT OBI CUB LOOKIN LIKE A LIL LIPN CUB PLZZZZZZ😭

Lil baby man who looks like an infant permanently no wonder he wants a beard so bad in human form.

Soka’s Lekku is so cute and I love how pissy Ani is. They’re all precious to me. Swamp kitty Yoda is so perfect.

[l-lend]

a/n - Okay it's been a minute but another one for @clonexreaderbingo. This was a bit of a challenge since I've never written for Wolffe and Plo Koon so any feedback would be great.

Eager eyes watched from her perch on the sofa. Florescent costume jewelry encircled her tiny fingers as she gripped the back of the furniture. Her vigil quietly observed by her parents from the kitchen.

“How long has she been like this?” The clone commander asked.

The woman by his side exhaled an amused breath, “Since I told her you and I were going out.”

She turned to study his face as he regarded their daughter. Commander Wolffe was not the most outwardly expressive man, but with time spent together she had grown adept at discerning his mood. The spark in his left eye, the subtle curl of his lip. He saved his smiles for special occasions.

An amused huff blew from his nose as the child sprang from her post with a delighted squeal.

“He's here!”

With a squeeze of his hand from his lover, Wolffe ventured into the living room while his little one sprinted towards the door.

“He'shereHe'shereHe'shereHe'shereHe'shereHe'shereHe'shere!”

As soon as the front door slid open, the child pounced.

“Uncle Plo!”

The guest in question crouched down to the child's level.

“Hello, little pup.”

The two exchanged a brief hug before the Kel Dor's gaze traveled to lock onto the clone. Plo raised a hand in greeting.

“Apologies, I was kept later than usual.”

“It's no problem,” the woman replied emerging from the kitchen, “Selene's been busy setting up.”

“Uh huh, Mom helped me with the snacks.”

“Oh,” Plo turned his attention back to Selene, “another of your tea parties? I seem to remember Sinker enjoying them.”

Selene nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah! Wanna see?”

“I'd love to. If you give me a moment, I'll join you shortly.”

Wolffe's pup shot off. The sound of footfalls echoed down the hall.The adults sat in a moment of silence.

“Thank you for watching her.” Wolffe began.

The jedi's features crinkled, tinged with mirth, “It's no trouble. She's a welcomed break from the galaxy.”

A pair of hands grasped onto the clone's arm before he felt a familiar weight against his shoulder.

“We shouldn't be long.”

“Take all the time you need. However, I need to see about this tea party.”

“Wolffe?”

The commander's thoughts returned to his wife. Her features twisted in concern.

“Sorry, just...”

Her hand folded over his as if to bolster him.

“Work thoughts still going?”

He sighed in hopes of lifting the invisible weight off his chest.

“Selene was almost glad to see us go.”

Her features softened, “She doesn't get to see Plo too often.”

His flat gaze brushed away her attempts to cushion the blow.

“The war was easier, mesh'la. I could handle clankers.”

Her delicate fingers graced the underside of his chin, bringing his face back to her.

“She sees you trying,” She offered a smile, “just give her time.”

The clone commander chewed on her advice through the rest of their outing.

Selene frowned from her place at the head of her plastoid table.

“Something troubling you?”

The child's eyes remained on the brightly colored tea set.

“You've known my daddy a long time.”

The jedi master shifted on the seat he was perched on.

“I have. He and I helped a lot of people.”

“Do you think he likes me?”

Silence the span of a heart beat seemed to stretch for eternity. She fidgeted under his gaze. Plo took a breath as he meticulously picked his words.

“Do you know the name of your father's battalion?”

She nodded, “The wolf pack. There's a picture of a loth-wolf. Daddy has one.” Her fingers tapped her shoulder where a pauldron would sit.

Plo smiled, “You're right. Did he tell you the story about the loth-wolves?”

At the shake of her head, Plo began his tale.

“Loth-wolves are protectors. They scare off anything that would wish them harm, but all the loth-wolves come together to protect someone most precious.”

He glanced at her enraptured expression. Her body leaned forward as if to urge him on.

“One who was brave. She would feed them and care for them, and they vowed to defend her until the end.”

“Who was she?”

Plo tilted his head upward as if to ponder, “Princess Selene of the Cynthus moon.”

Her tiny jaw hit the floor. After a few moments, the child glanced from her plastoid table to a section of shelving that housed a variety of paper.

“Uncle Plo, can you help me with something?”

The commander and his wife soon shuffled in. However, something was amiss as Selene rocked back and forth on her heels.

“Daddy, I got something for you.”

At his piqued curiosity, he noticed both of her hands were hidden behind her back. She pursed her lips before she loosed a roll of her eyes. She was definitely his daughter.

“You gotta close your eyes first.”

A glance to his wife and a reassuring gesture from her, and his eyes slid closed. A ruffle of thick paper met his ears.

“Okay, you can look.”

His eyes immediately met the colorful paper that had seemingly suffered a glitter assault with a drawing that was similar to the artwork that was displayed in their kitchen. Selene held the paper aloft with a grin. The words 'You're Invited' penned in purple as well managed as her little hands could be.

@locitapurplepink, @rain-on-kamino @starrylothcat @writing-positivelyexisting @burningfieldof-clover @padawancat97 @ahsokastechie

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Jedi Night"

Right, just going to go ahead and pass around the boxes of tissues.

Live reaction version.

And here we are at last. The entire latter half of the season had already began shifting at "Rebel Assault", but here the shift becomes permanent.

From the promos and synopsis put out before this episode, the genre-savvy among us could kind of already tell what was coming. But it was still devastating.

All right, enough stalling, let's get into it.

Aww man, this is the same spot Ezra sits in the finale isn't it?

Dammit we're barely ten seconds in and I'm already sad.

The Loth-wolf theme is heavy over this scene as Kanan is bombarded with an audio portent and foreshadowing of things to come in the WBW.

"You want a ride?" "The Jedi Temple is in danger." "Kanan, you haven't gotten me a present since we met." "You can learn what it truly means to be a Jedi." "You didn't prepare me for this, Kanan." "There's something I need to tell you." "I know I can always count on you."

Kanan hears mostly himself, and the two most important people in his life--Hera and Ezra. He hears Ezra's despair at losing him, and his resolve in entrusting his life and mission to Sabine. He knows the Jedi Temple is in danger. He's connected deeply with the wolves at this point, and either knows or at least suspects what he and Ezra will be asked to do.

This is probably where those extra episodes explaining Kanan's backstory and connection to Lothal would have come in handy. As it is we get the mysterious voiceover dump and have to piece things together after the fact.

What I think makes the most sense is that the Loth-wolves stopped Kanan from going to rescue Hera last episode precisely because--connected deeply as they are in the Force, associated with the WBW--they could see ahead to the potential futures of that course of action and knew that if he went after her, he would die. No matter what he did, no matter which way he moved, one way or another, it would happen. So they warned him. They showed him why lay ahead.

If you do this, we cannot save you, they told him.

And that's why he spends so much of this episode trying to mentally prepare the others, especially Ezra, for his absence.

Because the wolves still a Jedi to save the Temple from Palpatine's evil intentions.

Kanan is resolved in his purpose: He's going to save Hera. He's resigned to his fate: He will trade his life for the chance. And he's determined in his resilience: "Then I will make it count." He won't just make his death a meaningless sacrifice. He will ensure the completion of her mission, honor her by fulfilling the end goal of her failed attack. He will save Lothal by destroying the fuel pods and bringing the factories to a halt. He will give his life for Hera's dream.

Kanan proves in the end that he understands how to love without attachment. (Also why he makes Ezra formulate the plan, because he knows his feelings are compromised when it comes to Hera.) He will not cling selfishly to her. He will free her and then let her go and then let his own life pass away. He will take his place in Hades, and then teach Ezra how to grieve. Because Ezra won't be able to save him.

Because you can't go back down into Hades to retrieve the ones you lose.

“In mythology, if you go to Hades to get them back you’re not doing it for them, you’re doing it for yourself. You’re doing it because you don’t want to give them up. You’re afraid to be without them. The key to the dark side is fear. You must be clean of fear, and fear of loss is the greatest fear. If you’re set up for fear of loss, you will do anything to keep that loss from happening, and you’re going to end up in the dark side. That’s the basic premise of Star Wars and the Jedi, and how it works."

George Lucas, Mellody Hobson George Lucas - Virtual Speaker Interview, 2021

I love this shot, Ezra entering lightsaber-first, a visual emphasis on the fact that they are Jedi, and the Force requires much of them. Much sacrifice, much compassion, much selflessness. To whom much is given, much is required. With great power comes great responsibility.

All that jazz.

Kanan is preparing Ezra for the greatest responsibility he's going to have, to be asked to do what is right regardless of what it will personally cost him. And he's about to become a very painful object lesson.

He also talks like he's been given multiple visions of the future and is arranging things specifically so that they'll fall out in a specific way. It mirrors how Ezra speaks in the finale--If Thrawn shows up too soon, then this path, if he doesn't, then this one.

Some very painful paralleling that you don't realize the first time through.

Ezra's a bit uncertain at first, but honors Kanan's request, and gets started formulating a plan to get them into the Capital.

OH HEY WOULD YOU LIKE TO DESPISE PRYCE A BIT MORE?

Conducting the interrogation personally in her own office is quite the flex.

Once again paralleling to the Season One finale, another character comes in to start the questioning, and gets awfully personal with the digs, bringing up the interrogated party's painful past and history. In this case, Thrawn has brought Hera's kalikori down from its pedastel in his office on the Chimaera--that "place of honor" he promised her--in order to rub it in how he's deciphered the cultural meaning behind it.

Really leaning in hard on those icky cultural appropriation vibes aren't we, writers? Let's be clear, it's not that Thrawn was curious about Twi'lek culture and researched what meant what on a kalikori that's so gross, it's that he did so in order to learn more about Hera specifically so that he could hurt her more personally, namely by taunting her about her dead brother. It's the context, not the curiosity.

Thrawn is an Imperial warlord and only comes into contact with these cultural relics because he's a member of the tyrannical force currently oppressing those cultures. If he really respected or cared about them as items important to the people the Empire was conquering, he should leave them in their damn place. OR, if destruction of the relics at the hand of the Empire was inevitable, he should save them from that destruction and then be finding a way to give them back to the people they belong to or the closest equivalent. Instead he hoards them in his own art gallery to dissect and study to glean more insight into the cultures, so that the Empire might better defeat them.

Yeah no, the staging parallels to the Grand Inquisitor are super 100% on purpose and deliberate.

Also! Because I like ruining people's days, would you like some more Fridge Horror that you may or may not already have seen if you've been following me?

IT-O droids monitor prisoner vitals. Heartrate, blood pressure, adrenaline, other hormones and physiological markers. Hera's already pregnant at this point. Possibly far enough along that the IT-O was able to detect it.

Thrawn and Pryce might knowingly have tortured a pregnant woman.

~You're weeeeeeeeeelcooooooooome.~

Love Sabine whacking Zeb and shushing him to not interrupt Ezra as he's meditating and sensing out.

Also this look. <3

And also the soft conspiratorial smiles between Ezra and Sabine as they vibe on the same wavelength in regards to this plan.

The Kiners go all out on the music this next scene, as we montage building the gliders and Kanan preparing to shave and cut his hair, fully reclaiming his identity as Caleb Dume, The Last Padawan, again.

Kanan's theme plays, in bright flute, with bouncy string accompaniment. It's ritualistic how he moves. Like a samurai slicing off his topknot. Luke's Theme crossfades in through his to mark the heroism of the moment, as the preparations are finished.

And thus begins a long series of hidden goodbyes.

"This is one of those times I'm glad the Force is with you." Zeb says, about how crazy the plan is, and Kanan just silently puts a hand on his shoulder, the last time the two men would ever speak.

(The animators also go all hell out, making this episode one of the most gorgeous yet put to print.)

Cut to our favorite blue asshole. And he's been summoned to Coruscant for a meeting of heads of state to quibble about budgetary proportions lol. Of all things to yank Thrawn away from Lothal, it's politics and bureaucracy, par the course. Thrawn seems offended and claims Palpatine assured him he supports the Defenders.

And while I'm sure Palpatine has paid a bit of lip service to Thrawn's face... yeah no sorry honey, Palpatine was always going to go with the Death Star thing, it's been in the works since before the Clone War broke out. The only issue is that it's sucking all the funding and resources of everything else dry because of the constant delays and problems (Krennic is apparently mismanaging to hell) so now they are considering ganking money from other various projects to feed it.

And that's just... SO like the government lol.

So exit Thrawn, straight into the Thrawn: Treason novel. And I am still SORELY disappointed that Zahn did not take full advantage of the fact that Treason was basically a Rebels tie-in in order to have Thrawn sloooooooowly losing his mind and patience over things dissolving on Lothal while he's not there so that by the time we get him back in the finale, his irritation and annoyance is peak comedy and perfect characterization follow-through.

"I was gone for ONE HOUR and you blew up my project???!??"

The gliders are telegraphed to us with a very slight sound effect, and the rigid wings. So it's amazingly effective at fooling the Troopers lol. Rukh on the other hand has probably picked up a whiff of Zeb lingering on the others so he's alert.

Aaaaaand hidden goodbye number two, frick my heart this one hurts. There's so much Kanan can't tell Ezra, lest the fear of loss cripple him and make him unable to act, drive him towards the Dark Side. Kanan needs Ezra to be able to function for this mission, so he just praises Ezra for being a good listener--a veiled admonition for him to continue listening to the will of the Force, to his instincts, to the wisdom of others, to the wolves--and tells him and Sabine, "May the Force be with you."

He entrusts their safety to the Force, and tells them to trust in it in turn.

"Ezra and Sabine have each other, they'll find their way home."

Oh boy, on this edition of "Terrible Rebels takes that make zero sense except to the perpetually offended", there were actually multiple people who complained about Hera's confession coming about as a result of the truth serum, and they were mad that her loopy state because of the truth serum was played for laughs.

To which all I will say is, shut up, Hera drunk on truth serum is hilarious. Maybe quit having such a stick up your butt about bad things happening to female characters and let them get in on the jokes and slapstick occasionally.

Heroic Main Theme here as Kanan makes his entrance.

About 90% certain the thing Hera wanted to tell Kanan here was that she was pregnant. I refuse to accept that time on the fuel pod as the first time she told Kanan she loved him. Does not make sense, rejected.

Not gonna comment much on the Kanan/Hera scenes, they're adorable and sweet and heartwarming and heartbreaking in hindsight but I will say this soft romantic cue that accompanies them is very lovely.

Pryce sounds more than a bit pissy that Hera got rescued right from under her nose. This leads directly into her recklessness later with the fuel pods.

Love Ezra and Sabine casually commandeering a gunship. "I'm the backup pilot, so I'm in the back." And the Troopers just accept that logic lol.

And the "something" Kanan needs to tell Hera is either that he knows she's pregnant (but maybe doesn't know she knows?) OR about his upcoming expiration. Too bad Rukh interferes.

Oh hey, another sad parallel, neither Jedi have their lightsaber for their moment of ultimate sacrifice.

Hgngnh watching all the pieces move into place for what I already know is coming is awful.

Still cannot get over just how polluted the streets are, look at that rust colored smog.

Lol Ezra's little fist pump, completely forgetting where he is a moment. He's so cute I love him.

Their teamwork in taking out the other Imperials is great too.

*watches the kiss, sighs with sadness*

You did not have to dig so hard into the mood whiplash guys. You really didn't.

All right, let's just... pull off the bandaid.

The animation, the music full of mournful male chorus and high siren wail, the muted soundtrack, the emphasis on Hera and Ezra, that Kanan is so deeply utterly in tune with the Force that his blindness doesn't even matter (which is what his eyes clearing up was, clumsily, attempting to convey) he can see them...

And then he's gone.

And how awful it was for Ezra, who literally just felt his bond with Kanan snap inside his head, to have to be the competent leader and shout at Sabine to, "Go! Go!". For him to have to be the one thinking clearly, because Hera is completely numb and in shock.

Sabine wiping her eyes as she flies them out of there, somehow still able to see through her tears.

And then a stark white and gray titlecard as ashen dust flickers down around the text.

:((((((((

Frick man it still hits hard. Looking back though, it was inevitable. The death flags were all there, the pieces all set up and in place. This wasn't done on a whim, this was meticulously thought out, to devastating effect.

I was never quite as emotionally attached to Kanan as a lot of other people in the fandom, and I'm also a grown adult, so Kanan's death, while incredibly saddening, was not nearly as emotionally devastating to me as it was to quite a few younger viewers. For a lot of fandom this was their first time experiencing a fictitious loss like that, of having a character, a person they had as a staple in their lives, suddenly leaving it. Leaving behind an empty hole.

And that's one of the reasons I have to respect the writers for doing it. They had a story they needed to tell--about loss, about dealing with grief, about how to pick yourself back up and continue doing the right thing, as a Jedi specifically for Ezra, and as a person for everyone else--and they knew they needed to give it the weight and gravitas it merited.

You can't cling to things forever. It's one of the core staple lessons of Star Wars, the "point of the prequels" to borrow a common if oft-misused phrase.

Loss will happen. Death will happen. Do not give into fear about it. Do not let your fear of loss drive you into darkness.

Give yourself time to process the loss. Let yourself grieve.

And then let go.

So I appreciate that the next few episodes are spent almost as if in a funk, the cloud of grief hanging over us as we process through our loss with the characters and then pick ourselves back up and return to the mission. Because the war isn't won yet, and there are still things left to do.

It is darkest before the dawn.

[locitawritingsblog]

Such a Precious Time Together

This fic is continued from Such A Ray of Light We Never Knew

Kaz just ordered two coffees and two milkshakes as staring at a young teenager boy and a father walked into the arcade game which was across the cafe.

He couldn't remember when was the last time he spent time his father, his father was always busy whenever he planned to. He wished his father could spend time with him again like he was a kid but slowly, all they were busy arguing each other, especially he didn't wanna to be a senator, he wanted to be a pilot.

He didn't realize that his orders were ready "Here's your drinks, young man." He took his four drinks "Thank you ma'am."

He took a long breath and walked back into the arcade game. He saw Yeager, CB-23 , Kel and Eila were at claw machine. It was Kel's turn to get one of the dolls.

"Here's your drink, sir." Kaz passed a cup of coffee to Yeager first "Thank you."

"Which doll they wanna get it ?"

"They want to get a tooka one."

"Come on, Kel. You can do this." Eila cheered at her brother. The claw was getting a tooka but soon after that, it couldn't hold for like 5 seconds and a tooka doll fall.

"Awww..."

"Sorry kids, not everyone get a doll from that game, even me." Kaz apologized.

"Why don't you take a break ? Kaz brought you two some drinks." Yeager said which the kids took it "I'm so thristy." Eila said.

After they took a break and played few games more, the kids gathered all the tickets they got. Their tickets were enough for a white loth-wolf. "Look at this ! I heard Loth-wolves are connected with the force to lead the way." Eila told them.

Kaz didn't really understand about the jedi or the force "Do you know about these force things ?" "Yeah, I know few from one of my old friends." Yeager responded.

Eila pointed at the shopping center was next to the cafe "Hey, let's check it out there !" The kids immediately ran into that center which making Kaz, Yeager, and CB catching them up "Hey, kids, slow down !"

Inside the shopping center, the kids looked around the toys section "Have you kids seen something interesting ?" Yeager asked. "A lot but we don't have any credits." "Don't worry about it, I'll pay for one toy, you two just got a doll."

Kel and Eila nodded then back to look around the toys as choosing one toy to take it home.

Meanwhile Kaz looked around the holo-game and holo-movie section "Wow, looks like this place have everything....Like back on Hosnian Prime." Kaz looked down as CB rolling at him and took his hand.

Kaz sighed as gave her a sad smile "Thanks CB." He took a long breath "Okay, let's check all the movies they have right now." Soon after that, he took one of the movie rods "This one sounds interesting. The main character is a big hero but also have a bigger responsibility. Huh, sounds like me."

"Looking a movie to watch ?" Yeager showed up as Kaz turning around "Yeah, it's been too long since I joined Navy academy."

"Okay, how about we watch this movie tonight as we back to the Colossus ?"

Kaz was surprised "Just two of us ?"

"I just got a call from Venisa that she, Tam and Neeku were needed from there so they probably could get back home tomorrow."

"Good, this movie says there will some swear words." Kaz read the synopsis. Yeager nodded "Yeah, Neeku probably don't like to hear those words."

"Okay, movie night it is." Kaz said.

Suddenly they heard a ball bouncing to them "Look out !" Yeager pushed Kaz to the other side in time as a ball bouncing across the section.

"We're getting that one !" Kel said as he and Eila chasing a ball that they like to get it.

A hour later, they finally back to the colossus "Thank you for taking us, Kaz !" Kel said. "Aww, I'm just happy you two having a good time." The. Eila said "And thank you for paying, Yeager." "You're welcome, kids. Enjoy being kids while you two still can."

"We will. See you all next time !" Kel and Eila left with their toys they got. Kaz waved at them "See you all later !"

"Alright, hotshot. You take some blankets you could get while I get a holo-projector and popcorn." Kaz immediately rushed to get ton of blankets. Yeager put a projector on the table while Kaz made a movie seat from blankets and pillows.

"Popcorn and projector are ready. How about you ?" Yeager asked as taking a seat. "Almost, I just about to make tea for us, just in case. You just sit there." About a minute later, Kaz sat besides him "Alright, let's begin our movie night."

During watching the movie, Kaz and Yeager found something interesting about this movie "I must say the main character's voice sounds just like you." Yeager commented and Kaz shook his head as chuckling.

"I really enjoyed seeing the main character teaching a big baby girl to play baseball. That's sweet one." "Me too." Yeager put his arm around Kaz's shoulder.

A hour later, Yeager noticed Kaz shed his tears while seeing the saddest scene "You alright ?" "No...it reminds me almost losing CB, that's all." Yeager rubbing Kaz's back as Kaz cried on his shoulder. Yeager was surprised at first but he didn't mind, his kid needed this.

After the movie was over, Yeager was surprised to figure out the main character's mother was alive "I must say this movie is really good. Have you thought about your family's whereabout.." Kaz fell asleep on his shoulder.

Yeager shook his head as chuckling "Good night, Kaz." He rubbing his hair as put a blanket around his body.

Taglist : @queen-daya , @cassie-fanfics , @zaya-mo , @fulltimecatwitch , @kanerallels , @commander-tech , @thebadbatch2022 , @catcucumber-salad , @twinsunstars

"Good night dad." Kaz talked in his sleep which was shocking Yeager. He had no idea how much his kids means to him. He smiled then fell asleep.

[liatorii]

La creatura

[starsdies]

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Here is a small little Christmas Obikin drabble someone requested on my twitter.

keywords: fixing a tie + "be good for me."

Artoo’s enthusiastic beeps alert of the approaching time just as he pushes his arms through a borrowed suit jacket. 

Coruscant glitters with twinkling lights, large projectors depicting advertisements and holiday food against the durasteel skyscrapers, lending it a certain charm. Obi-wan adjusts his cream-colored layers, plucking at the fibers with alien annoyance. He already misses his loose fitted robes, but Padme insisted on their attire and Obi-wan didn’t dare turn away such expectations from the senator. Especially for the Christmas party she devoted a concerning amount of time to planning. 

On the other side of the room, faring much worse than himself, Anakin fumbles at his tie with a frustrated mumble. A smile quirks his lips, Anakin’s light pout reminiscent of years when he was much younger and only just arriving in Coruscant–confronted by the overwhelming, towering city and its queer customs. Christmas quickly became Anakin’s favorite and his anxious excitement jitters their bond now. 

“Do you need help?” he teases, though Anakin is quick to scoff. 

“I can tie a tie, Master.” 

But even his proclamation is a helpless tone that draws Obi-wan forward. The fabric is twisted in a pathetic little knot, too long where it shouldn’t be, absent of experience. He tsks, brushing aside Anakin’s hands to replace them with his own. 

“Your touch is reserved for mechanics, I’m afraid, dear one.” 

Anakin’s eyes roll. “I could have told you that.” 

With ease, the knot loosens itself with the help of the Force. Obi-wan takes to re-folding it himself, smirking. “I can tie a tie, Master.”

This time, Anakin doesn’t entertain him with a biting response. They both know how long he’s gone without learning how to manage one. 

Hands settle on his waist instead, urging him closer until Obi-wan is nearly pressed against his chest. The black of Anakin’s suit is a lovely contrast to his soft curls and prowling eyes further brightened by the blue of the tie, ones that ogle him as he carefully maneuvers. This close, he can smell the perfume gifted to him from senator friends after his knighting, wild plum and pomegranate. 

With one last step, he pulls the tail end tight, jolting Anakin slightly and drawing a quick, surprised breath from his parted lips. Obi-wan smooths the tie into the dark jacket and pats over, smug, unmoving. The hands at his waist wrap fully around, latching on with a sturdy grip. 

A faint flush dusts Anakin’s cheeks. 

“Well,” he swallows, settling his gaze on Obi-wan’s lips, “I suppose not being able to tie a tie isn’t that bad.” 

“Hm,” he agrees, touch skittering up to where the blue meets Anakin’s neck. There are pink marks where the fabric rubbed against his skin, giving his look a far more rugged appearance. Like he’s just been handled. “The senators will surround you like loth-wolves tonight.” 

“Jealous?” 

Obi-wan grazes his thumb across the jut of Anakin’s throat, watching it bob with a swallow. “You are the poster… man, afterall.”

The grin it earns him is blinding, Anakin leaning forward to ghost his lips across Obi-wan’s forehead. “No need to be jealous, Master. I’m sure Padme won’t take up too much of my time.” 

The very reason for their invite, he knows. The senator’s flirtation with Anakin since Naboo is a mystery to Obi-wan, but he can see just how smug it makes his young friend to see the perplexed possession it draws from him. Even then, Anakin will always fall back in line with him; bound by war, by brotherhood, by bond. 

By his stern demand, if needed. 

Still, he entertains it, if only to see his former Padawan’s lip-biting, eye-twinkling satisfaction. 

So, it’s easy to lean forward, to murmur, “Be good for me and we’ll see what kind of reward I have for you tonight,” and watch Anakin’s eyes darken. 

Maybe he’s looking forward to the party, for once. 

[venator-arts]

infinity stone are hearts of kyber

hey yall this is an explanatory post for my new fic infinity stones are hearts of kyber (pls check it out) based on this comic

if you're interested, please go read the fic first as thing contains spoilers

SPACE

Characters:

Obi-Wan Kenobi power: teleportation via knock-off World Between Worlds; can teleport as long as he can see/has an idea of where he needs to go; lightsaber will always return to closest ally attunement moment: seeing Qui-Gon stabbed

Planets/beings connected:

Lothal Loth Wolves Purgill

MIND

Characters:

Plo Koon power: enhanced battle meditation; stronger connection between him and those he is close to; gains memories of each of his men; because of this connection, he feels deaths in the force a lot stronger attunement moment: the malevolence

Rey power: psychometry; she connects with the minds of those who held/used the object, can understand some of the thoughts they may have had attunement moment: completing her lightsaber (which is actually a lightsaber staff cause i think thats cool)

Planets/beings connected:

Jedha - Holy City for Jedi; jedi hold mind stone in high esteem Father - idk man i included the other two and he fit the vibes; my notes say "Father is mind (yuh)"

POWER

Characters:

Mace Windu power: shatterpoint (i dont need to say more) attunement moment: learning shatterpoint

Planets/beings connected:

Coruscant - in the core of the planet from the old sith temple (sith love power) and the reason why a city planet hasn't collapsed Son - the dark side of the force

REALITY

Characters:

Palpatine power: reality manipulation (helps him with all his evil sith things) attunement moment: idk do we really know anything abt this man

Maul power: went mad from being chopped in half and teleported to a random planet and holding onto a Shard that he wasn't attuned to; later allowed him to see through palpatine's plan

Planets/beings connected:

Mortis - self-explanatory Mortis gods - all three are connected in the loosest sense while having stronger connections to other stones

TIME

Characters:

Qui-Gon Jinn power: able to learn force ghost things; can look into certain significant events (eg. his death) attunement moment: ambiguous, i think it happened along the way

Yoda power: visions; extension of life attunement moment: Force Priestess saying he can learn from Qui-Gon how to ghost

Luke Skywalker power: visions of past, present and future attunement moment: healing a bleeding crystal (this bit is canon from comics i looked it up)

Planets/beings connected:

Takodana and Maz Kanata - Maz is the guardian of the stone that is in the planet's core (it's why she's so incredibly old) and time moves different in pockets of the world which i made up Morai - lil green owl that follows ahsoka, led ezra to find her in the World Between Worlds

SOUL

Characters:

Cal Kestis power: psychometry/force echoes; connects with the souls of the people using the object (also i play him with an orange saber cause i think its cool) attunement moment: collecting his crystal on Ilum

Planets/beings connected:

Vormir and Red Skull - only actual crossover with mcu cause i couldn't be bothered to think of a planet that fit Daughter - gave her soul to save ahsoka

[aceofstars16]

1-3, 5-7, and 27-30 for the Star Wars Rebels ask, please?

Well I forgot to answer this but I saw it now and my brain isn't giving me the writing vibes (even though I want to write) so I will finally attempt to answer! xD

Also apparently I can't just put 1. without it making it a list so...uh...that's annoying...

One: What is your absolute favorite episode of the show?

Oh man....it's been so long hnnng, I might go with Flight of the Defender...that's the one where Sabine and Ezra steal that ship in S4 right? Though a lot of season 1 makes me happy so...honestly a lot of those could fit too...there are too many good episodes xD

Two: Which episode did you not like at first, but grew on you after one or more rewatches?

I cannot remember the name, but the Purgil one, I didn't love it but then my sister just...it's the only episode she remembers and she just says "the space whales one!" and I just...really like it now xD

Three: How do you feel about the Ahsoka show being live-action Rebels season 5?

Ha....haha...ha...I don't really like it...first, it should've been animated and second I...I think the Sabine being force sensitive is the stupidest idea ever I'm sorry but not actually sorry.

Five: If you could change one (non-death-related) plot point in the show, what would you change?

*eye twitches in still annoyed by what they did to Kanan* but aside from that...make Kanera less...weird in the last season, just...have them be secretly married this whole time, because that just...makes more sense than them being awkward

Six: What are your two favorite ships from the show (canon or not)?

HAHAHAHA I'll just...

And Kanera side from the weirdness of S4, but yeah...Sabezra ALL the way, like...if you knew me back in the day...I wrote SO MUCH of them lol

Seven: Who is one character you feel isn't appreciate enough by the fandom?

Uhhhh...bro I actually don't know lol I mean I like Jai so....maybe him? Or Zare cause he had that book series that was actually pretty interesting

Twenty Seven: Which plot point do you wish the show had expanded on?

It's been a while but...probably the loth wolves and...all that, like S4 had so much that was just like "what?" and then we never saw it again

Twenty Eight: Favorite recurring character?

Hahaha....I'm going Hondo cause I love that space pirate xD

Twenty NIne: Favorite piece of music from the show?

Hold on, I gotta find it..."Journey Into the Star Cluster", it's not even my fave episode but like...one day I had it on and it was raining and I literally felt like I was in a Nancy Drew game it was just, amazing

Thirty: Most under-rated episode?

The way I want to say the Purgil episode again lol...but maybe the third episode? When Ezra and Zeb steal the tie fighter? I don't know that one is just fun and I love how the tie comes in at the end of the season again haha

[lonewolflupe]

aLoF Ficlet | Lupe Of Lothal

Here's Lupe's origin story (OR a one-shot about Plo Koon stumbling upon a Force-sensitive youngling). I'm sorry about the lack of conversation in this one, but I really tried to paint a picture of the surroundings and the atmosphere (thus this ficlet doubled the size I intended it to be).

Note: since this ficlet takes place in 40 BBY, Plo Koon is still a Jedi Knight ("By 33 BBY, Koon had achieved the rank of Jedi Master and was elevated to the Jedi High Council." Source: Wookieepedia).

Summary: Jedi Knight Plo Koon investigates a report and stumbles on an unexpected discovery. Rating: Teen and up Tags: Force connection, Force sensitivity, reference to abandonment Words: 1.954k Characters: Plo Koon, Lupe (OC), unidentified captain/flight crew, unidentified villagers aLoF masterlist | AO3 ↓ | > ch1

40 BBY, Outer Rim | Lothal

“Sir, incoming transmission from the Jedi Temple,” the captain informed the Jedi Knight, looking over his shoulder whilst addressing him. The Kel Dor Jedi stood in the Republic Cruiser’s cockpit, a few steps behind the pilots’ seats, as he gazed through the transparisteel viewport. When he heard the captain’s words, he stepped forward and gently placed his four-fingered hand on his shoulder. “Put it through,” the Jedi’s resonant voice replied, a slight buzzing sound to it, caused by the antiox breath mask adorning his face.

“Plo Koon,” the voice over the transmission started, “Are you still present in the Calamari Sector?” The Jedi Knight confirmed their current position, before the voice continued the transmission. “A report was made about the increasing harassment by creatures on settlements, coming from the Lothal System. Sending the coordinates right now.” A quick nod from the captain to let the Jedi Knight know they had received the coordinates; the navigator went to work immediately. “Since you are already located near the system, could you investigate the report?”

And of course Plo Koon accepted the request. There were always more sides to a story, and if he could avoid the loss of innocent lives, either being sentient or non-sentient, he would try to find a humane solution. After all, that was the Jedi way; emphasising compassion and teaching that all lives were precious. And so the Consular-class space cruiser set course to the planet of Lothal.

Once they had made it to the planet’s surface and the Jedi had started to ask around, it hadn’t taken Plo Koon long to find one of the affected locations. They had left urban civilization behind and continued their endeavour towards a rural area. Wrapped in his cloak to shield him from the emerging gusts of wind, he walked from the ship towards the farming settlement. It was surrounded by grasslands as far as the eye could see. It was a soothing view, and by the sight of it, nothing seemed to be amiss.

A flock of prairie-fowl scattered before his feet when Plo Koon reached the settlement’s only road, connecting the few houses the place consisted of. It was quiet outside; he only noticed a Gotal at the other side of the hamlet. The humanoid was bundling together a bale of cut grass, next to a modest corral containing a small herd of nerfs. The Gotal looked up warily when he noticed the Jedi’s presence. Plo Koon approached him cautiously, calmly stating the reason for his arrival. The distinctive short, grey fur on the man’s face surrounded a pair of weary eyes.

Their brief conversation revealed much to the Jedi. Recently, a pair of creatures had started terrorising the normally quiet hamlet. There hadn’t been any casualties; neither the inhabitants nor their livestock had been touched. Instead, the creatures had been taking rather peculiar items from the small village. There had been much debate over the identification of the creatures, but most rumours came back to one species: Loth-wolves.

With his long, taloned fingers, Plo Koon stroked the mask on his face as he stood pondering over his findings. Whilst Loth-wolves had been a problem to Lothal’s earlier farmers, no one had encountered any in nearly a century; they were deemed extinct. The Gotal pointed towards one of the hamlet’s houses, telling the Jedi the home’s resident could tell him more. Plo Koon thanked the man for his time before leaving him to his businesses.

After he had knocked on the door, it took a while before it slid open. Behind it stood an elderly Ithorian lady, her bend back in combination with her angled neck making for an eccentric appearance. She was wearing a somewhat primitive, timeworn translator collar on top of her neck. Plo Koon introduced himself and told her about his earlier conversation with the Gotal. The lady invited him inside, which he accepted so he could get to the bottom of this. She offered him something to drink, which he refused, because he didn’t want her to make any physical effort on his behalf.

Ithorians were known for their long lifespan, and the elderly lady in front of the Jedi was proof of it. She sat down in an old rocking chair, moving back and forth, concurrently with her memories. She told him about her younger days, how she grew up on the plains of Lothal, in a time when Loth-wolves were still an occasional sighting. She told him how the magnificent beasts had rarely ventured out of the Lothalian mountains and the enclosing grasslands, but that they had been slain anyway, out of ignorance and crudeness. Plo Koon could feel a mixture of grace and sorrow as the lady told him about the creatures, reminiscent of a bygone time.

Before continuing his investigation, Plo Koon kneeled down beside the Ithorian to thank her for her honesty and for sharing her memories. Before he could get back on his feet, the lady put her hand on his shoulder and seemed to be looking straight through his goggles. Crackling through her translator came the redeeming words: she had seen the Loth-wolves as a maiden, as a mother, and now, as a crone. She was certain of it; the Loth-wolves had never been away.

Plo Koon let the words sink in as he strolled to the far side of the hamlet. When he reached the last house, he sat down on a crate and let his gaze wander over the vast plains ahead. The gusting wind had died down; only a faint breeze remained. It played with the tall grass, gently brushing it whenever it reached down to the surface. Slowly, the sun set in the distance, and the presence of the twin moons became evident. Where the sun had shone a golden light over the grass, the moons’ light changed it into a velvety silver. There was a serenity to this place; a tranquillity he could only obtain by meditating back in the Jedi Temple.

He closed his eyes, taking in this strange place that felt oddly familiar. A cold blanket crept over the grassland as the night came, and when it reached the Jedi, every exhalation resulted in a small, foggy cloud in front of his breath mask. He felt the coldness creep inside his body, pricking his skin, tickling his senses as they enhanced. He could hear the friction of feathers as the prairie-fowl huddled together to keep warm. He could see the loth-rats nestling in their holes below the grassy surface. He could taste the dew as it formed on the tall grass all around him. He could smell the resin from a faraway spine tree as it dripped down its bark. He could feel..

Suddenly, he could feel their presence. He knew they were right in front of him before he opened his eyes. When he did, he looked upon two magnificent Loth-wolves, towering above him. Both wolves had black fur and were accented with dark, scaly skin, laying in patterns on their face, their feet and their croup, almost like reversed fingerprints. Their bright, amber eyes looked calmly down at him, waiting.

Plo Koon gently arose from the crate, and with a slow motion, almost like a wave, he reached one hand towards the wolf nearest to him. The wolf showed its teeth, but not in a threatening way; it merely tasted the air, the atmosphere. When the Kel Dor’s four-fingered hand was near, the wolf gently moved its head forward, nudging it into the Jedi’s touch. Plo Koon felt a strange sensation deep within, as if they shared something ancient, as if a connection was being made. The wolves seemed content; yes, this was the one they had been waiting for.

The Loth-wolf lay down and looked at the Jedi in anticipation. Without the need to share any spoken words, Plo Koon understood the wolf’s intentions. He walked over to the beast and carefully mounted it. His fingers grasped around tufts of its black fur; tightly enough to keep himself balanced, but gently enough to not bother the creature. As soon as it was back on its feet, both the Loth-wolves turned around and started running. They ran through the tall grass, away from the hamlet, onto the vast, open plains. Plo Koon moved along with the rhythm of the wolf’s movements, gazing into the distance to set eyes on their destination, but there was nothing to be seen. Nothing..

He was dreaming. The stars surrounded him; not just from above, but all around him. Glimpses of his past, memories from long ago. Voices of parental figures, of teachers and mentors, words of wisdom and knowledge descending onto him. Images of former events.. Or visions of future matters? He didn’t know. It felt like he was floating in space, between worlds. Was this really a dream?

Plo Koon woke up at dawn and found himself on the rocky foot of a mountain. It felt like he was waking from a very deep, intense slumber; nothing he had ever experienced before. When he heaved himself up and looked around, the Loth-wolves were nowhere to be seen. When he was taking in these new surroundings, a peculiar sound caught his attention. It was the sound of subdued howling. As he turned into the direction of the sound, his eyes caught a cave entrance not far away. He walked over cautiously, and when he peeked inside, he expected a Loth-wolf pup.

But what he found inside was a different kind of pup; it was a human child. A female, about two years old, her feral, silver hair quite distinctive for a juvenile of the human species. There was dirt smeared all over her skin and she was wearing rags, but furthermore, she seemed healthy. Around her, scattered through the cave, the Jedi noticed the peculiar items that had been taken from the hamlet, such as toys, pieces of clothing, a mug and plate, and remains of fruits and vegetables. He now understood why the Loth-wolves had ventured into the affected settlements.

The child looked up at him, her eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation. There was no sign of fear or restraint. Plo Koon slowly moved forward, kneeling in front of the child and gently offering his hand to her. She took one of his taloned-fingers in her hand, still looking up towards his goggles, his eyes hidden behind them. As soon as their skins touched, he felt a connection. In an instant, he knew what he was already expecting; she was Force-sensitive. “Koh-to-yah, little one,” Plo Koon greeted the child softly, and he noticed a flicker in her eyes. They were as brightly amber as those of the Loth-wolves.

…

When Plo Koon walked out of the cave, the child on his arm, the Loth-wolves had returned. They were waiting for them outside. The Jedi threaded carefully, since he was now carrying their pup, the child they had clearly been taking care of. But the wolves remained at ease, watching the Jedi and the youngling in full anticipation; they had brought Plo Koon to the child with a purpose, after all. He slowly walked past them, thanking them for their compassion and their aid. The child flung herself over his shoulder, watching the wolves as he walked off into the tall grass. As soon as the Jedi had activated the transmitter on his comlink, ready for a pick-up from the Republic Cruiser, an eerie sound behind him caught him off guard. It was the hauntingly beautiful howling of the Loth-wolves, an echoing goodbye song for the child they had cared for. They had now granted him the responsibility of that care.

I read a theory on Reddit stating that Loth-wolves are/carrying the spirits of Jedi that died on Lothal. Plo Koon didn’t die on Lothal obviously, but I like to think he connected with the creatures during this little story, thus making a ‘new’ Loth-wolf appear after his unfortunate demise during Order 66.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Dume"

*pulling out more tissues* Anyone still need these? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? I am way too young to be making that joke.

Live reaction version.

As if to rub things in, this episode starts moments after the previous one ended. The fireball is under control, finally, though still burning, and an officer comes up to Pryce to confirm the news:

Kanan is dead.

Pryce knows she's made a mess of things but latches onto this fact as a way to still look good in front of Imperial High Command, deciding to throw a sick kind of celebration for it. In a twisted way, the Jedi also represents "hope" to someone as despicable as Pryce.

Oh man, he doesn't know. He's so happy to see them.

Zeb's first hint that things didn't go as planned is Sabine hurling off her pilot helmet, swiping her eyes angrily as she passes him in complete silence.

And then the near-comatose Hera, dead on her feet, staring up blankly towards the horizon and Ezra shaking his head because he can't help her.

Chopper rushing immediately to Hera's side because he knows her, knows something is horribly wrong.

Zeb grabbing Ezra by the shoulders and he barely reacts to it.

"Kanan's gone." is all he can say, and his anguish when he has to repeat it when Zeb asks for clarification, the anger and sorrow, the way his voice shakes...

And Zeb's expression drops in horror and he wordlessly pulls Ezra into an embrace.

I WANTED THEM TO HUG BUT NOT LIKE THIS.

And Chopper silently holding Hera's hand. :((((

They bring back the white titlecard too, just to remind you we're still in mourning.

It gets a bit lost with everything that happened, but the attack on Lothal's factories? That was two days ago. The disastrous failure and loss of 24! fighters is going to be very fresh on the Alliance's minds, and add Kanan's death to the mix and they absolutely will not risk any more hardware and personnel on Lothal. The Spectres will have to fix things from within, on their own, by themselves.

Which they gradually discover that they have started to. The Alliance's primary goal on Lothal was preventing the Defenders from being manufactured, and Kanan accomplished that. Anything in addition to that is cake topping for the Alliance, Lothal goes back to being one of the thousands of worlds in the Imperial-occupied crowd they have to face down.

They don't know about the Temple. And that's why Lothal also needed Ezra.

Who, after an outfit and scene change, is about to be as functionally useless and paralyzed as Hera.

:(((((((

I was unclear on why the wolves were so angry the first time through. It's clearer now that they're trying to snap Ezra out of his funk, because time is running out and they can't afford for him to sit there and be depressed about things, they need him to move, they need him in action. They're not kind about it, but the reality is not kind, If Ezra does not get himself together, Palpatine will gain the WBW, Lothal will be doomed, everyone will die.

Bit a lot more headcanon-y but also I think the Loth-wolves may have preferred Kanan be the one to enter the WBW and save it? Owing to [gestures to unanswered mystery box about Kanan's past they hinted at]. Maybe? So maybe they were also just a little pissy that their first choice went and got himself killed even after they warned him.

Like I said, speculation and spitballing on my part on that one.

Anyway.

Ezra runs away from the Loth-wolves' attempts to confront him and I already praised it in my first watch but the camerawork is excellent here. Very nicely staged, good insets, good tracking shots, good dollying.

The Loth-wolves actually pause here, waiting, watching Ezra to see what what he'll do. Ezra had the full opportunity to reach out and connect, and talk to them, but he chooses not to, running away again.

So they wind up knocking him out when they knock him down.

Meanwhile at Imperial HQ, good lord that is a lot of smoke. It's literally blurring the edges of the Dome.

Pryce seems very pleased with herself for killing the Jedi. Too bad Thrawn literally doesn't care about that, because he's pissed she let Hera Syndulla escape and also the whole fuel depot thing. Thrawn says he's not in it for glory but I think he does take some personal satisfaction from defeating someone he considers a Worthy Opponent. Hera was his victory and Pryce undid it as soon as he was gone. That has to sting, lol.

And Rukh is grinning like, "Sucks to be you, bitch."

I don't know if we're meant to take Hera's, "Why did I wait so long to tell him?" as being about saying I love you or about being pregnant but I'm going to go with the latter because, again, the suggestion that that was the first time she'd actually told him is dumb and I won't entertain it.

Chopper is so very present for Hera through all this, even when Hera regrets even starting the Rebellion in the first place.

I think a few people have speculated that each of the Spectres represents a stage of grief. Ezra's stuck in a certain kind of Denial, and gets tempted with the Bargaining stage an episode later. Sabine and Zeb are both Anger. Hera is obviously Depression.

Eventually all of them reach Acceptance. Chopper may have already been there.

Zeb is actually the one who notices first that the factories are completely shut down, which is a nice touch.

I can't quite tell if Ezra wakes up in the same location he was knocked out in or if the wolves moved him. He bolts up in a different position so there's room to argue they moved him, possibly on Dume's orders.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: Ezra stumbling like he's falling asleep on his feet.

He looks so tired. And he's stuck. Emotionally and physically.

Maybe that's why he turns to the children's nursery rhyme like he did in Season One's "Path of the Jedi" to try and decide a way forward. But he keeps rejecting the options he lands on. So he does it again. And again.

Until a manifestation of Kanan appears, like it did before, to get him back on track.

Sabine holding back on her Mandalorian revenge instincts, implicitly because of Kanan's Jedi influence. T_T

Watch the sky in this part, you can see the hue shift to purple.

The Dume wolf sniffs him and he immediately stirs with a confused, "Kanan?" ow my heart.

Some Endgame-like trumpets and drums in this part.

Zeb has height and strength going for him here, but Ruhk is so much faster and quicker. Not to mention has the stealth cloaking. Sabine's helmet gives her a leg up on that momentarily until it's knocked off.

Back with Ezra in the wolf-vision and Kanan-as-Dume interacts with Ezra in a very pointed, Force-y way, dragging out the truth from Ezra about why he ran, why he's stuck, what's holding him back.

"You... ran." It sounds almost accusatory. Ezra gives a weak excuse about the wolves chasing him, but upon being pressed again starts letting things out:

I feel lost, I'm afraid, I don't believe in myself without him, I can't do this on my own.

Ezra's grief is tied up and tangled in his self-esteem issues, a bit self-pitying and "woe is me", because without Kanan he doesn't feel brave or strong, he's not special he's not like Kanan.

Who is he but a child, a "boy who was lost", without his wise brave master? He's nobody.

"I am afraid, all right?! I'm afraid. Everything seems so hopeless now."

Frick I need to hug him. :(

Zeb gets a little bit too into his anger when Sabine's exploding paint finally lets them see Rukh enough to smack him good.

Sabine being the voice of mercy when there aren't Jedi around to do it. :(((((

Back with Ezra and the wolves have given him the keystone and finally explain what the deal is: The Jedi Temple is in grave danger. Secrets and knowledge lie within, that the Empire cannot get hold of. Those words are not a coincidence. We're meant to think back to Malachor, to where it first all went wrong, as Ezra's sentiment goes.

Still not quite sure why the Dume wolf had to bite Ezra out of his vision but Imma chalk it up to another mysterious wolf thing.

Ezra immediately yelling out for Kanan tho. :(

Sabine and Zeb like troublesome siblings pulling a prank as they send Rukh off painted and humiliated lol.

Meanwhile Hera has added a new bead to the Kalikori, representative of Kanan and using a piece that looks like a Jedi holocron shard.

Sabine looks so genuinely happy here.

Ezra's functional enough for now, so he's back too, and we end on the cliffhanger of the Lothal Temple in danger, the secrets within about to be seized by the Empire.

The last half of Season Four is very tightly written, this episode a prime example. It's breathing space for us to grieve, and it still is seamlessly tied to the plot in the episodes prior and after.

The Dume wolf operates, as Ahsoka would suggest later, as an extension of Kanan's will, working Ezra through the blocks in his head one last time, like he did in "Gathering Forces". Ezra wouldn't fully recover until after "The World Between Worlds" but he's on the way to properly grieving, shelving his feelings for the moment in order to do what he has to, what only he can.

And boy am I looking forward to that. :)