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grim-on-the-darkside · 4 years ago

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The Latest Information on Lucas’s Sequel Trilogy he wrote in 2011. Also some information from Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III: 1999–2005, author Paul Duncan interviewed George Lucas his ideas of a Sequel Trilogy.

Firstly, some of the things Pablo Hidalgo has stated about Lucas’s sequel trilogy that he has access to and spoke to Lucas directly about.

We know Lucas never considered the EU canon or a part of his Star Wars universe so it is not surprising his Sequel Trilogy was of his own creation.

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"Fast forward to 2012, when we hear George is looking to make SW movies again, I though I thought 'I wonder what next Mon Calamari's gonna be. And it turns out, the Mon Calamari this time was huge swaths of the EU. There was no Jacen, no Jaina. No new Jedi Order. Chewie lived. Not surprising, but there it was."

~ Pablo Hidalgo, 2016

https://ibb.co/nmjWcBM

[Regarding Lucas Sequel Trilogy Treatments he wrote in 2011 and sold to Disney]

Comment - "What are you talking about? J.J. threw out His story treatments and he [George Lucas] has no imput at all anymore."

Pablo Hidalgo Response - "Not entirely true. But the treatments as they were pretty much disregarded the EU, which was to be expected.”

~ 2018

https://ibb.co/Dz7qhTB

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Commentor - 'Thank You for the clarification, might I ask if you ever recieved any direction that George Lucas with the number of children the Solos had as depicted in the EU?'

Pablo Hidalgo - "All I meant is his starting point for this Trilogy didn't have Jacen, Jaina, and/or Anakin."

Commentor - 'Was there Ben Skywalker?'

Pablo Hidalgo - "There was not."

https://ibb.co/JH2Y8tg

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

Question - "My question is, *what did George's treatments for 7 look like? I would love to see if they fit the EU."

Answer [Pablo Hidalgo]- "They did not. For instance, there was no Jaina, Jacen, or Anakin." ~ 2017

https://ibb.co/N7HKCsF

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Pablo Hidalgo - "Jacen and Jaina never existed in George's storytelling, even in treatment form."

Comment Response - "And about Mara Jade?"

Pablo Hidalgo - "No. George never thought of Mara as being part of his universe either."

~ 2016 https://ibb.co/YLHk6Ft

.......

From Star Wars Insider

"There was no Ben Skywalker in George's Universe. He came from the NJO team." ~ Pablo Hidalgo 2016

https://ibb.co/HDtXh6D

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"Question from Today, but I thought this was pretty well known. George Lucas never considered Jacen, Jaina, or Mara Jade as part of his universe."

~ Pablo Hidalgo May 2016 https://ibb.co/VDX2qvY

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"But anyway Luke in exile predates TLJ by a long time and came from someone who can very happily and rightly supersede anyone's feedback :)"

~ Pablo Hidalgo https://ibb.co/sKZnWKk

[Luke was in something of a self imposed exile on an Island in Lucas Sequel Trilogy which is something that Disney ripped off from Lucas’s Sequel Trilogy. Pablo is referring to Lucas in this quote.]

"Luke was training a new generation of Jedi, it all went wrong because of 1 boy, and he's the 'Jedi killer' - that's the source.”

~ Pablo Hidalgo, 2016 https://ibb.co/JjYtGtf

[The source being George Lucas sequel trilogy treatments he made in 2011 and ended up selling to Disney later. Something else Disney ripped off from Lucas’s Sequel trilogy.] ..

Pablo Hidalgo - "George's starting point for 7 had no Jaina, Jacen, Anakin and Chewie never died. So yeah."

[Reply] - "Could we please send this to every EU purist we know?"

[Other replyer] "They wont care."

[First Replyer] "They will after what Hidalgo just said after this."

[Pablo Hidalgo] - "No, they won't. You can't correct the internet.The info's out there. They've made up their minds."

https://ibb.co/mXGX0Qn

Pablo Hidalgo - "But there was no sequel trilogy at that time."

Commenter 1 -

'Also, Lucas' Treatment of EP VII did not have the twins born in the Thrawn Trilogy'.

Pablo Hidalgo - "It didn't have twins."

Commenter 2 -

'You're referring to the treatment Lucas sold Disney in 2012. I guess plans changed.'

Pablo Hidalgo - "Or were defined. Jacen and Jaina were never part of George's story. They were Tim's [Zahn] invention."

~ Pablo Hidalgo Q&A

https://ibb.co/VQ5Zrr0

Here’s what George said about them during an interview with James Cameron for his The Story of Science Fiction project.

“Back in the day, I used to say ultimately what this means is we’re just cars, vehicles, for the Whills to travel around in…. We’re vessels for them. And the conduit is the midi-chlorians. The midi-chlorians are the ones that communicate with the Whills. The Whills, in a general sense, they are the Force.

All the way back to — with the Jedi and the Force and everything — the whole concept of how things happen was laid out completely from [the beginning] to the end. But I never got to finish. I never got to tell people about it.

If I’d held onto the company I could have done it, and then it would have been done. Of course, a lot of the fans would have hated it, just like they did Phantom Menace and everything, but at least the whole story from beginning to end would be told.”

~ George Lucas

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/george-lucas-episode-vii-episode-ix-1201974276/

As part of the book Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III: 1999–2005, author Paul Duncan interviewed George Lucas. During this interview, George talked more about his plans for the sequel trilogy.

Paul Duncan: What about the stormtroopers? They look robotic, but they’re not.

George Lucas: How do you know what they are?

Paul Duncan: Did you have a different idea of what they were?

George Lucas: Yeah, they started out as clones. Once all the clones were killed, the Empire picked up recruits, like militia. They fought, but they weren’t very good at what they did.

Paul Duncan: That’s why they kept missing.

George Lucas: That’s why they kept missing. Then after the Rebels won, there were no more stormtroopers in my version of the third trilogy.

I had planned for the first trilogy to be about the father, the second trilogy to be about the son, and the third trilogy to be about the daughter and the grandchildren. [There was only one, Ben Solo, another Disney rip off.]

Episode VII, VIII, and IX would take ideas from what happened after the Iraq War. “Okay, you fought the war, you killed everybody, now what are you going to do?” Rebuilding afterwards is harder than starting a rebellion or fighting the war. When you win the war and you disband the opposing army, what do they do? The stormtroopers would be like Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist fighters that joined ISIS and kept on fighting. The stormtroopers refuse to give up when the Republic win.

They want to be stormtroopers forever, so they go to a far corner of the galaxy, start their own country and their own rebellion.

There’s a power vacuum so gangsters, like the Hutts, are taking advantage of the situation, and there is chaos. The key person is Darth Maul, who had been resurrected in The Clone Wars cartoons — he brings all the gangs together.

Paul Duncan: Was Darth Maul the main villain?

George Lucas: Yeah, but he’s very old, and we have two versions of him. One is with a set of cybernetic legs like a spider, and then later on he has metal legs and he was a little bit bigger, more of a superhero. We did all this in the animated series, he was in a bunch of episodes.

Darth Maul trained a girl, Darth Talon [The only thing from the EU in Lucas’s Trilogy, but it wasn’t even really her, just had the same look and name, completely different background. She wasn’t even born yet at that time frame in the comics]., who was in the comic books as his apprentice. She was the new Darth Vader, and most of the action was with her. So these were the two main villains of the trilogy. Maul eventually becomes the godfather of crime in the universe because, as the Empire falls, he takes over.

The movies are about how Leia — I mean, who else is going to be the leader? — is trying to build the Republic. They still have the apparatus of the Republic but they have to get it under control from the gangsters. That was the main story.

It starts out a few years after Return of the Jedi and we establish pretty quickly that there’s this underworld, there are these offshoot stormtroopers who started their own planets, and that Luke is trying to restart the Jedi. He puts the word out, so out of 100,000 Jedi, maybe 50 or 100 are left. The Jedi have to grow again from scratch, so Luke has to find two- and three-year-olds, and train them. It’ll be 20 years before you have a new generation of Jedi.

By the end of the trilogy Luke would have rebuilt much of the Jedi, and we would have the renewal of the New Republic, with Leia, Senator Organa, becoming the Supreme Chancellor in charge of everything. So she ended up being the Chosen One.”

George also expanded on Midi-chlorians:

“This is the cosmology. The Force is the energy, the fuel, and without it everything would fall apart. The Force is a metaphor for God, and God is essentially unknowable. But behind it is another metaphor, which fits so well into the movie that I couldn’t resist it.

Midi-chlorians are the equivalent of mitochondria in living organisms and photosynthesis in plants — I simply combined them for easier consumption by the viewer. Mitochondria create the chemical energy that turns one cell into two cells.

I like to think that there is a unified reality to life and that it exists everywhere in the universe and that it controls things, but you can also control it. That’s why I split it into the Personal Force and the Cosmic Force. The Personal Force is the energy field created by our cells interacting and doing things while we are alive. When we die, we lose our persona and our energy is assimilated into the Cosmic Force.

If we have enough Midi-chlorians in our body, we can have a certain amount of control over our Personal Force and learn how to use it, like the Buddhist practive of being able to walk on hot coals.”

And the Whills:

“The Whills are a microscopic, single-celled lifeform like amoeba, fungi, and bacteria. There’s something like 100,000 times more Whills than there are Midi-chlorians, and there are about 10,000 times more Midi-chlorians than there are human cells.

The only microscopic entities that can go into the human cells are the Midi-chlorians. They are born in the cells. The Midi-chlorians provide the energy for human cells to split and create life. The Whills are single-celled animals that feed on the Force. The more of the Force there is, the better off they are. So they have a very intense symbiotic relationship with the Midi-chlorians and the Midi-chlorians effectively work for the Whills.

It is estimated that we have 100 trillion microbes in our body and we are made up of about 90% bacteria and 10% human cells. So who is in service to whom? I know this is the kind of thing that fans just go berserk over because they say, “We want it to be mysterious and magical”, and “You’re just doing science.” Well, this isn’t science.

This is just as mythological as anything else in Star Wars. It sounds more scientific, but it’s a fiction.

It’s saying there is a big symbiotic relationship to create life, and to create the Force, but if you look at all the life-forms in the universe, most of them are one-celled organisms. I think of one-celled organisms as an advanced form of life because they’ve been able to travel through the universe. They have their own spaceships — those meteorites that we get every once in a while. They’ve been living on those things for thousands of years, they’ve been frozen, unfrozen, and can survive almost anything.

The one-celled organisms have to have a balance. You have to have good ones and bad ones otherwise it would extinguish life. And if they go out of balance, the dark side takes over.”

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

Obviously there is the older information that’s already been out there, I just wanted to share some of the newer information that has come to light. I’m sure in time we will learn more.

#LucasIsTheCanon

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hannagoldworthy · 4 years ago

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@secondtolastrow tagged me to name my favorite female character in ten different fandoms. So...give me a moment to find fandoms that aren’t Star Wars for the moment.

1. Mariel Gullwhacker from Redwall. Brian Jacques knew how to write strong female characters, by gum, and she’s as strong as they come. Never married, never acted like a lady, and beat the living shit out of her enemies with a knotted piece of rope that was supposed to kill her. I love her so much.

2. Lucy Pevensie from Chronicles of Narnia. Quintessential badass princess; I’m old, and I still want to be her when I grow up.

3. Serafina from Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. Her portrayal might be considered a problematic today; a great deal of her storyline involved her being black, and she did die at the end. However, she was gentle, and beautiful, and a damsel that did quite a bit of rescuing herself, with a lovely singing voice. She was a girl of color given the stereotypical “princess” personality traits given to characters like Zelda or Princess Peach, and she was...flawless. I loved her almost as much as the protagonist did, and I wish we could have seen more of her before Mr Jacques died (because she was going to be a Guardian Angel to the protagonist, which would have been Awesome).

4. Elizabeth Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean. Such a nuanced, complicated character, with the kiss of death.

5. Marilla Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables. She put up with so much shit, and had such a big heart under all of her strong, no-nonsense demeanor.

6. Michonne from the Walking Dead...at least, the first few seasons of her. Badass, gorgeous, graceful, smart, and quiet; *man* I wish I could just *move* like her...

7. GALADRIEL. Professor Tolkien’s favorite girl, and for good reason! She is the STANDARD, baby, no one is better, my goodness, I smile just reading about her! Lady of the Galadhrim stan FOREVER!

8. Ann Elliott. She and I have a frightening amount in common. Maybe my childhood sweetheart will return to me as hers did. Oh wait. I have no childhood sweetheart. Never mind then...

9. Mara Jade Skywalker from Star Wars Legends. Emperor’s Hand. Jedi Master. Salt Queen Non-Pareil. Badass Mom. Stubborn enough to fight off an invasive alien spore and put it into remission TWICE. Kind enough to talk Luke down from some of his toughest mental ledges. She’s canon in my heart, and that’s the only canon that matters.

10. I’m going to cheat, and divide Star Wars Legends and Canon into two different fandoms, because they are entirely different beasts. So...Ahsoka Tano, from Star Wars Canon. Best character arc I’ve ever seen in a children’s show protagonist, hands down.

I shall tag @mercurydancer, @aces-to-apples, and @justalittlecloud...and anyone else who wants to join in can, of course.

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jedihafren · 8 years ago

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Mara Jade books

I was thinking about Mara Jade and the ‘which books would I recommend most that she’s in’, question, because obviously when you dig into the post-RotJ Legends Expanded Universe, she’s in so many of them, and the quality is, at times, a bit all over the place.

Generally speaking I can find something decent about the portrayal regardless of the author, or even how much she frequents within the book, because I just love Mara, but there are some stories I recommend over others. So this is my list of recommendations based on how much I personally enjoyed them.

The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn - obviously this is the starting place. And it remains my favorite of Mara’s stories. When I’d been out of SW fandom for close to a decade and felt like jumping in on a bout of nostalgia, it was these hardcovers I pulled out. They are the definitive Mara Jade in my mind, and if you only ever read one book series with Mara, they’re the ones. (The art below is from the comic adaptation which is fun, but not a substitute for, and the art isn’t always my favorite.)

By the Emperor’s Hand comics - I don’t love the art in these, but I like the story. It starts out with the backstory from the Thrawn trilogy and it continues on into the early days of Mara’s post-Empire’s fall existence. It takes all that justice that she tends to excel at, and pushes it into a storyline. It’s a 6 episode run, but it’s a good one.

Choices of One & Allegiance by Timothy Zahn. These are written after the Thrawn Trilogy by quite a lot, Allegiance is technically the first one, where Choices of One is the second one. They are Mara’s service in the Empire. I’ve seen people quibble with some of Mara’s abilities, they’re valid criticisms probably, but I enjoyed both of them quite a bit. Choices of One probably a bit more than Allegiance. Among some of the highlights are Mara snarking at Vader.

Survivor’s Quest - this is a story that is primarily about Mara & Luke after their marriage. It’s written by Zahn again, and I enjoy it for a lot of reasons. I enjoy the realistic portrayal of a marriage relationship in a way that both has love and attraction, but also mutual respect and partnership. I almost feel as if I appreciated it even more after I got married, but I wish we’d gotten another book or two like this. I also really appreciate Mara musing about the Empire - what she likes about it and even still thinks is good. It adds nuance, and it’s a nice touch. It probably helps if you’ve read Zahn’s Outbound Flight novel, but it isn’t strictly speaking necessary.

The Hand of Thrawn duology - also by Zahn. It’s possible I should flip this and Survivor’s Quest since these books are chronologically set before SQ but I kinda like SQ better, even though I really enjoy Visions of the Future, the second in the duology. This is the last in the Bantam timeline, and this is where it all goes down, and it probably is helpful background for Survivor’s Quest. It deals with a lot of the characterization shitshow of the Bantam era, and has some really lovely Mara & Luke moments in the meantime.

Judge’s Call by Zahn - this short story can be found here and takes place shortly after their marriage. It’s romantic and sweet, and pure fluff, basically Luke takes Mara on a weekend getaway.

Union comics. - Luke and Mara’s wedding. Corny and fluffy as all get out. But there’s girls days out, Mara tries on ridiculous wedding dresses, and super cheesy romance. It is worth it.

Elsewhere in the Bantam timeline, probably I, Jedi, if you don’t hate Corran Horn. Also the Corellian trilogy. Beyond that, Mara doesn’t feature a ton so it’s not worth it for anything else. If you’re really invested at this point, the New Jedi Order is uneven in characterization, and she is sidelined somewhat because of her disease, but while it is an investment (at 19 books) there are some great Mara moments. In particularly I love Ruin where she and Anakin Solo are on Dantooine together, Balance Point and Allston’s books, because who doesn’t love Mara and Luke wandering about post-apocalyptic Coruscant?

And if you’re super invested, then, yes - I guess there’s Legacy of the Force, but it’s pain, and OOC shenanigans in order to facilitate fridging and I am that committed, but I don’t blame anyone else for not being so committed.

If you want to read them in chronological order, then here we are:

Allegiance

Choices of One

By the Emperor’s Hand (comic)

The Thrawn Trilogy

I, Jedi

Corellian Trilogy

Hand of Thrawn Duology

Union (comic)

Judge’s Call

Survivor’s Quest

New Jedi Order

Legacy of the Force

There are some short stories that are worth tracking down if you really love Mara, but this covers most of the main books and comic series that have her in them.

#Mara Jade #SWEU #star wars legends #SW Legends #recommendations #SW recommendations #Mara Jade recommendations #My girl forever

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celinamarniss · 1 year ago

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Mara uses the secret passages in the Imperial Palace to sneak up behind the commando team trying to kidnap the Solo twins in the comic adaptation of The Last Command.

#comics #the thrawn trilogy #the last command #mara jade is my forever girl #i'm so mad the previous comic artists on this series established that mara only ever wears a fucking catsuit #because this artist does a great job with everyone else's costumes #i love the way he dresses winter #he could have come up with something interesting for mara #is eric shanower? i think it's eric shanower #his palace interiors also look great #update: it's edvin biukovic on pencils and shanower on inks

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itsbeenareal--slice · 3 years ago

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I posted 53 times in 2021

9 posts created (17%)

44 posts reblogged (83%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 4.9 posts.

I added 41 tags in 2021

#jaded moth - 18 posts

#megeri - 5 posts

#jaded frost moth - 4 posts

#bdrpsmut - 3 posts

#mistle hoes - 2 posts

#mandy - 2 posts

#music - 2 posts

#a jaded moth takes flight - 2 posts

#bdrptask - 2 posts

#happy end of pet day - 1 posts

Longest Tag: 70 characters

#lol i realize meg has no friends and thus i must amek her be connected

My Top Posts in 2021

MEGARA’S WEDDING LOOK AND VOWS

Lymantria, agapi mou,

There is no question that when you met me, I had no place in my heart for love. A past love, a false love, had blanketed me in darkness. But it was you that shone through. We met, we walked around one another, looked at each other, but it was not for a while until we really saw each other.

You saw my darkness but did not run. Did not judge. But held out your hand for mine every time. Your world was filled with illusions and I only wanted to make whatever you dreamed a reality.

Though we have not had the most traditional or smooth relationship, who does really when you live in a town like this, from the beginning, you were always my best friend and favorite person to wake up to.

I love you, Ly. (Truly I do or else I would not have said all of this in front of so many people. Public declarations aren’t really my thing.) But I would do anything for you, as I know you would do the same for me.

You once told me, be careful of the chains that aim to bind you and then later on told me to not get locked in anywhere. But what you didn’t know yet was that I had already known I was bound by something much stronger and deeper than anything else that could reach me. You linked yourself to every part of me. And with you, I would gladly throw away the key.

@thelostillusionist

3 notes • Posted 2021-08-28 20:44:28 GMT

I Ink This Is Permanent || Megeri

Megara had been toying with this idea for a while and it wasn’t until she realized that she and Lymantria had just passed the 4 year anniversary of when they first met at the Court that she decided to pull Peri aside at Pixie’s one evening to ask if she’d be willing to do it.

She was going to get a tattoo, but not just any tattoo, one for the girl she was so head over heels for that she honestly slowly had begun not caring if people saw them or asked questions. The girl who seemed so quiet, yet made thoughts appear so loudly in Meg’s head. A magical, wonderful woman who Meg knew she’d hold onto forever.

The thing was though, she wasn’t entirely sure on placement and wanted to hash out a few little details and ideas so Peri could get a better picture on things. Really, all she had to say was that it was for Ly and Peri beamed and immediately agreed.

They set up a consultation for a few days later and here Meg was, waiting at the Star Burst Tattoo Parlor for Peri to come out of the back, with a few photographs and references in her hands that she thought they could kind of brainstorm off of.

She gave a half-smile at Peri when she emerged, “Hey, boss lady. Weird to see you not at Pixie’s.”

4 notes • Posted 2021-03-17 03:33:00 GMT

Amazed || Jaded Moth

It had been one hell of a night. She’d been shaken awake by a mara, transported into Lymantria’s dreams, then spat out of that dream and into Texas? But of course, being the way things were in this town, she hadn’t realized that Texas had been part of the dream and it wasn’t until right before she woke up that she remembered Lymantria, the mara, the girl and the two demons.

Sam had been eaten.

It was like seeing the whole simulation and illusion for what it was once it just clicked back in. Her fucking name was Megan and apparently she and Lymantria (Lyanne) were trying to make it big. When she snapped out of it and was holding a guitar, uttering confused as to how she’d learned the song she’d been playing earlier while she sat in a van that they lived out of, she only had one thought, she had to find Ly, whatever version she was, and figure this shit out.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten so far as the van door when she was spat out of the dream, her eyes opening wide as she stared up at the ceiling. The last time she’d been in this room she’d been thrown into a dream. She didn’t know how much of the night or day had passed. She felt different though. Exhausted. Like she hadn’t slept a single wink. But also, lighter?

She looked over to her peacefully sleeping partner, heart thumping in her chest as she remembered that the whole reason she’d had to go into the dream was because Lymantria couldn’t wake up.

She pressed a hand to her partner’s sternum gently, fingers grasping the moth captured by the tattoo and pushed up onto her other arm so she was hovering over her, hair cascading over her shoulder and veiling her face as she spoke softly. “Hey dreamer, could you please wake up so I don’t have to convince a mara to drag me back in there again.”

If Ly couldn’t wake up, she’d just have to go back in.

@thelostillusionist

7 notes • Posted 2021-04-12 22:40:51 GMT

Shared Space || Jaded Moth

Megara grunted slightly, sweat on her brow beading up a little bit as her hair in a messy bun sat on top of her head. She hugged the box as forcefully as she could, hauling it up into Ly’s house. Well, now it was their house.

She bent down, sliding the box and breathing out as she looked around the few boxes of possessions she had and chairs or shelves or pieces of furniture she hadn’t immediately sold off in the move.

She stretched a bit and shot Ash a glare as the cat immediately meowed and jumped on top of the box, trying to chew at the tape. She shook her head and walked back out the front door to talk to Wendy.

The redhead grinned, “All set?”

Meg gave a tired smile, “Yeah, I think that’s it.” She looked back to the house before turning to the tall woodworker again, “Listen, thanks again. You know you don’t--”

“Nah, just have my usual ready next time I see ya. This was your wedding gift from me to you guys anyways. It’s been nice to see you two grow and be all in love and everything when I’ve stopped by over the last year.” She honestly looked a little sad at that but Meg felt it wasn’t exactly her business to pry.

“Well, if that’s all, I’ll get this truck back and you two go have fun.” Wendy winked at the bartender who just chuckled.

“Oh believe me, she’s more than enough fun.”

She waved the other woman off before heading back into the house and starting to push some of her boxes that held appliances towards the kitchen where Ly was, “Still feel weird that she was so nice about helping us out, but hey, I’m not complaining if a Pixie regular wants to give us a present.”

She snuck up behind her wife--her wife--and circled her arms around her, pressing her face into her back, “All my stuff is in your house--our house.”

[outfit vibes basically]

@thelostillusionist

12 notes • Posted 2021-10-03 23:57:54 GMT

Dazed and Amused || Open

Megara Creon was getting married. Who would’ve thought? In all the demonic. nightmare and insane deal antics that he befallen both her and Lymantria, they’d made it out on the other side. They’d cracked, most definitely, and Meg had left for a time, but it all had just made them stronger.

They were on one of their last few Pixie’s shifts before the wedding and Meg couldn’t stop the half smile that appeared on her face as she looked cross the dance floor at the woman who was currently dealing with a mess of wires and an amp that was being particularly temperamental.

Meg was snapped out of her gaze across the dance floor, eyes flickering away from her soon to be wife by someone trying to get her attention, “My bad. Spaced and didn’t see you there. What can I do for you today?”

14 notes • Posted 2021-08-24 02:41:59 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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hannagoldworthy · 4 years ago

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This crossed my dash, and I didn’t reblog it until now because I wanted to collect my thoughts a little bit. I’m not trying to start any fights here, I promise; there are several good points raised here, and I agree with the bulk of this assessment.That being said, I am also Fandom Old, and at points this strikes me as somewhat reductive.

George Lucas gave permission to other authors to write stories in this universe. The Thrawn Trilogy was marketed as the First Authorized Star Wars Sequel, with those express words right on the label. His company was managing the novels, and they worked at Skywalker Ranch, which meant he was on hand to make any course corrections he thought unwise in the Star Wars universe. He was consulted, a great deal, by the first novel writers in what was advertised as a fictional universe with a unified storyline. He chose to be very hands-off and vague, which I do not believe was a good decision, because those novels did give the fans an idea of what to expect from the Star Wars universe. They - we, really, had the rug ripped out from under us, multiple times. It wasn’t our fault that he CHOSE to allow others to write storylines that weren’t what he imagined from the story.

That said, I agree that many of the fans were inexcusably angry about the whole thing. George Lucas writes by the seat of his pants; as someone who tends to do the same thing, I enjoy his work very much. Qui-Gon’s existence (and Leia not being born long enough to remember Padme like she said she did in RotJ) were continuity errors that rose as a result of that bad habit in writing; the age limit came about because Anakin was de-aged from 15 to 10 to have more appeal to children. Those were mistakes Lucas made...and, well, there was a particularly vocal part of the fandom who didn’t want to admit that George Lucas is not and will never be the Best Writer To Ever Write. You know them - the toxic basement-dwelling, gatekeeping incels lampooned by Robot Chicken. And they have been around forever, even with Legends.

In fact, they HATED Mara Jade. You know every unfounded (Mary Sue), sexist (women are too emotional to be Jedi!), and exclusionary (we can’t have more girls into Star Wars because this is OUR pillow fort) argument made against the likes of Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, and Rey Skywalker? Mara Jade fielded them first. And, at the time of TPM, her opponents were at their loudest because she’d been engaged to Luke in the then-canon EU for less than a year. They wanted Luke Skywalker to continue on as a bachelor, happily loving and leaving every vaguely female-shaped Sexy Lamp of the Week as a male power fantasy; him being happily married to a woman who flirted by smack-talking his ego prevented that. And, incidentally, so did the rule against attachment in AotC, so they objected vocally to that as well, even when the chronology was re-worked so that that particular rule was something the Jedi had only been strictly observing for about a thousand years, leaving previous Ancient Jedi to interpret attachment differently.

Saying that it was Mara Jade fans who were this clueless is...well, it’s just not so. She wasn’t Luke Skywalker’ first love interest (that went to Mary, who died without even a last name, in the Marvel comics), nor was she the first female Jedi to be a wife and mother (Nomi Sunrider, who founded the modern Jedi order, got that honor). She was just the first major female character to permanently remain in a very influential position in a Skywalker’s life (aside from Leia), and she was hated for that because she was female, plain and simple (Padme and Ahsoka got a lot of the same flak, you’ll notice). And saying that it was those darn romance shippers and their assumptions about the Jedi Order does fans who like Legends a grave disservice. We were led to believe Star Wars was something that it was not; the old rules on romance were Authorized and referred to as Canon. It wasn’t an assumption; that was the universe we had been given, and we thought it would continue to be that way, and were a little perplexed and somewhat betrayed when we were handed something that contradicted the fiction we had grown to love. But don’t tar us with the same brush as the Robot Chicken Nerd fans. Most of us were perfectly happy to deal with the continuity snarls; in fact, I quite enjoyed TPM and Jar Jar Binks and AotC and the Forbidden Romance and all of it, in theaters, even though it slapped previous canon at the face sometimes.

But, let me get off my soap box. Once again, I’m not trying to start a fight. I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea about where the toxicity was coming from.

Offering my experience as An Old to describe the reaction to the mass Jossing immediately post-TPM:

Qui-Gon was completely and totally a retcon. Ben is specific that Yoda was his teacher in ESB. Nobody knew what the fuck to do with Qui-Gon and were a bit disdainful/wary about him. People felt like he was a shitty knockoff of Obi-Wan himself (note the similarities in their names), and often assumed they came from the same planet. A lot of people wished that they had never bothered with Qui-Gon and the Prequels had just covered Obi-Wan as Anakin's teacher (you can see this desire reflected in the Machete Order); Obi-Wan fans in particular were Visibly Salty about Qui-Gon hijacking the wise teacher role.

People were SCANDALIZED by the idea of nonviolent Jedi. HORRIFIED. DISGUSTED that the Jedi would favor formal negotiations over killing people with laser swords. There was a general impression that TPM had turned the Jedi into pussies and made them no longer cool.

Jedi having a legal, formal structure also threw people for a loop; the Temple existing at all. People had typically pictured Jedi as nomadic wanderers and the idea of them having a big Jedi home base with Jedi supervisors was lame. (It also didn't really track with so many people in the OT dismissing the Jedi as some old, obscure religion)

People were shocked at the age limit. Yoda complains that Luke is too old in ESB, but Yoda is clearly being petty and grasping at straws in that scene; people assumed that if there was an age limit, Luke was three or four years past it instead of fifteen years past it

The "no marriage" revelation in AOTC hit like a fucking A-bomb. People felt betrayed that their mental image of romantic Jedi drama had just been torpedoed (cough Mara). People felt so confused because they wanted to root for the romance they felt they were owed, that they felt was normal, but Anakin and Padme's romance was so wooden and unlikable

...you know, writing this all out does a lot to explain some of the resentment people have for the Jedi; people approached the concept of the Order as if it were inherently wrong in the first place because it wasn't the Star Wars they'd imagined when they were children.

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solerey · 5 years ago

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Rules & Verses for Mobile:

Having had these requested for my Finn account, I thought I should go ahead and make some mobile-accessible rules/verses for the rest of my accounts too, so here are Rey’s! (This also includes the various parental backstories I will play for her.) Note that while I don’t change my rules much (or basically ever lol) the VERSES information here is definitely not going to be up-to-date because I am forever making new aus…but here’s a start, at least, to give you something to explore until you get back to your computers!

Mun is named Nicky and is well over 21. Muse’s age will vary. Multi-ship and multi-verse.

RULES:

Following and Mututals:

This is a sideblog of nickyrp and as such cannot follow back.

We do not need to be mutuals to send memes or starters. Feel free to throw things like that at me at any time even if we’ve never played or plotted before. If I’m not interested or just too busy etc I promise I will let you know politely and not just leave you hanging!

If you want to play please send me a message or toss me a starter; I’m bad at paying attention to my follower count and probably didn’t notice your subtle arrival! Or thought you wanted to lurk idk. Say hi!

If you are a multimuse with a lot of characters or a lot of fandoms all on one url, I may not follow you because that tends to be overwhelming for me. It’s nothing personal nor a comment on your writing style; it’s just more than I can easily keep track of, myself. (That’s why mine are all on their own sideblogs.)

If I can’t read your blog (small text, low-contrast colors, etc) I will not interact with your character. I don’t have the best eyes and straining to read sucks all the fun out of rp. If you need any of my formatting or color choices adjusted for your own ease of accessibility please let me know! I will do so happily.

You can reblog any of my shit (headcanons, graphics, verses, meta, whatever) even if you’re a personal blog, I don’t care; it’s all one fandom imo. That said please don’t reblog my interaction threads with other people because most rp-ers do not like their things reblogged and I want to respect that. If I reblog anything of yours you do not want reblogged just let me know and I will delete it; I promise it’s just because I thought the thing was cool and got excited!

Interactions:

I am always up for trying new things so if you have a crazy idea, please hit me up! I promise I rarely disintegrate anyone.

I am happily open to interacting with Original Characters! I need to know who your character is though, so if you don’t have a bio or background I can find on your blog I’m not going to be interested.

I will not write smut with anyone under the age of eighteen.

If I ever do something that upsets or confuses or offends you, please let me know. It probably wasn’t intentional and I always want to be called out on problematic behavior because how else can I learn to do better? I promise to react apologetically, not defensively.

Formatting:

I’m a visual person so I like icons and gifs and will almost always incorporate them. If you don’t want to use images that’s cool with me, but I majored in comic book art so I enjoy the marriage of words with images. I should further admit that interactions with visuals do tend to keep me more excited than plain ones – I’m shallow!

I’m not a big fan of fancy formatting. I don’t mind if you use it but I don’t. Feel free to adjust my formatting to suit your aesthetic if that makes you more comfortable, but I’ll likely keep mine simple.

If you need any triggers tagged message me and I’ll do so gladly.

Canon & AUs:

I have as of yet read very little of the expanded universe materials for the New Canon (a few comics, the Thrawn novel, etc). As such, my portrayal of Rey may at times be lacking in regards to supplemental canon information. Please never hesitate to inform me of any details relevant to your character or any ongoing/burgeoning threads. I appreciate that assistance!

As far as the Legends EU goes, I have read most of the old novels (excepting NJO period) and many of the Dark Horse comics but that is a lot of material and I do not promise to remember everything. Please let me know if I make a mistake or assumption you do not agree with; I promise I will not be offended!

I will generally default to putting Rey into the canon of the Sequel Trilogy because that is where she comes from, but I am happy to play her in Legends Canon too – just let me know! If you don’t indicate verse/time on a meme or starter, I might pick another verse (or make a new one) so please indicate where you want to play if you have a preference!

I also love making AUs whether canon-divergence or totally off-the-wall so please don’t hesitate to throw new verses my way! I love both plotting and winging-it when building new worlds, so don’t be shy!

Characters Relationships & Shipping:

Platonic Ships: I generally enjoy Rey without any ships and am thus extraordinarily eager for friendships, familial relationships, and Found Family interactions. (Antagonistic and abrasive interactions are also welcome – it doesn’t have to be all sweetness and light all the time!) Rey very much wants to be loved, but it isn’t romance she is primarily looking for. I will usually write Rey as being either an aromantic or biromatic asexual.

OTPs: That said, I do thoroughly enjoy the idea of a Finn/Rey/Poe polyship and would be thrilled to play out interactions under that set-up. I will also happily ship her with either of those two gentlemen on their own, or with Rose Tico or Jess Pava or Jannah or really anyone whom it makes sense to ship her with, providing there is chemistry and a basis in friendship to build the ship from (whether that be formed via interaction or plotted ahead of time). Interspecies ships with non-human characters are also welcome!

NOTPs: No teacher/student, adult/minor, or incestuous ships, please. Additionally I will not ship Rey with Kylo Ren in any verse. I have no objections to playing in verses where they are not related, but due to the fact that I started thinking of them them as siblings about five minutes into my first viewing of TFA (the Jaina/Jacen vibes were too strong for my Legends-based heart, sorry!), it is simply something that I am not comfortable shipping regardless of their actual familial status in a verse or lack thereof. Please tag your reylo so I can block it?

One-Way Ships: I will never force a ship on you. I expect the same courtesy in return. That said, you are more than welcome to have your character express unrequited romantic feelings toward mine. (In most cases I expect I’d even be okay with this sort of one-way attraction coming from a Kylo Ren character; if it ends up crossing the edges of my comfort zone I’ll let you know!)

Main Faceclaim: Daisy Ridley [older: Keira Knightley] [younger: Raffey Cassidy]

“We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down.” ―Poe Dameron

VERSES & BACKSTORIES:

I am a big fan of AUs and canon-divergent verses so if you don’t see something here that looks like your cup of caf know that I am always happy to plot out a new one! Also feel free to pull anything from my wishlist.

BACKSTORY OPTIONS: I find that I enjoy the Rey Palpatine/Rey-Chooses-Skywalker Idea more and more the longer I contemplate it. I do however remain wholly convinced that Rey Organa-Solo was the original intention with the character in TFA. Thus, for threads set early in Rey’s character arc I am likely to default to Rey Organa-Solo while in threads set later I’ll probably go the Palpatine/Skywalker route. (And I have other options too!) If you have a backstory preference, please specify before starting a thread.

The Last Solo (default canon verse): Rey was too little to remember that her full name was Breha Organa Solo but it wouldn’t have mattered if she’d been one hundred; when Emperor Palpatine decides to mind-rub the entire galaxy, they forget. Sensing the all-but-unprecedented power within the little girl, the half-resurrected shadow of Palpatine was too tempted by her potential to destroy her outright; instead he erased her life. He couldn’t erase the emotional weight of her absence, though, nor the instant sense of connection felt by both Rey and those who had once loved her. Even Kylo Ren didn’t know why the little girl he dragged from the ruins of the Jedi Temple mattered, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill her, instead abandoning both her and his father’s ship on Jakku before following Snoke into the Dark. Palpatine’s lies about Rey’s lineage fooled everyone for a time – but in the end, the truth felt real in a way that the lies did not, and Rey reclaimed the heritage he had stolen. In the end, Palaptine lost everything.

The Last Skywalker (secondary canon verse): When the half-resurrected former Emperor mind-rubbed the entire galaxy to forget Luke Skywalker’s daughter, he succeeded – but his former Hand recognized the feeling of his touch on her thoughts. Mara Jade immediately knew he was back. She didn’t know why she felt such a connection to the little girl buried beside her in the ruins of the Jedi Temple, but she knew she had to kill her former master – and that she had to keep this child safe. She “borrowed” her brother-in-law’s ship and went searching for Palaptine, her forgotten daughter in tow. When she reached Jakku, she left the girl and the ship behind, knowing the next step was too dangerous to bring a child she loved along – but the Final Order she found was more than the fragments of the Empire she had expected, and Mara never returned for her daughter. That didn’t stop the girl who called herself Rey from sensing a connection to her true family when she finally found them again, nor stop her from claiming her true lineage in the end in spite of Palaptine’s lies. (Can also be played with a different mother!)

Palpatine’s Heir (canonical canon verse): When Rey at last discovered her lineage, she was horrified. She was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, the man who had destroyed the Old Republic and created the Empire – and was now the resurrected Lord of the Sith. After initially giving in to fear and despair at the darkness she believed she saw within herself, Rey eventually returned to the war. With the assistance of Kylo Ren, who had turned his back on the Sith at the last minute, she was able to destroy Palpatine while the Resistance obliterated the Final Order’s fleet. Hope was restored to the galaxy, Rey was restored to life in a final act of atonement, and the stain of the Sith was at last ended…at least for now. Choosing to turn her back on the bloodline that spawned her, Rey has instead declared herself a Skywalker in essence if not in birthright, carrying on the legacy of the late Luke and Leia. As the first of the new Jedi, Rey now looks to teach others the ways of the Force as Leia did her – starting with her dearest friend, Finn.

Not So Nobody (alt canon verse): The daughter of Kam and Tionne Solusar, two of Luke’s earliest Jedi students, Rey was the first child born within the Temple. Kylo Ren desperately wanted to make her his first apprentice of the Dark Side, but the Solusars escaped the slaughter and fled across the galaxy. The First Order pursued. Unable to shake them, Kam and Tionne made landfall on the nearest planet: Jakku. They hid Rey with a junk dealer and left, planning to lead Ren away and double-back when it was safe – but the First Order caught them. They convinced Kylo Ren that Rey had died of wounds taken during the attack on the Temple, but the deception cost them their lives. Kylo Ren was irritated to have lost Rey as an apprentice but had more important things to do than dwell on the death of one child…until he heard about the girl on Jakku who helped the deserter. He knew immediately who she had to be – and that she would become his apprentice after all, or he would ensure that her parents’ lie became the truth.

Orphan of Jakku (alt canon verse): Kylo Ren told the truth: Rey’s parents were nobody…but what does that matter? A person’s worth isn’t determined by their lineage but by their choices. And Rey chooses the Light and the Resistance and she will give her all to defend her friends and to free the galaxy from the shackles the First Order wants to wrap them in. Kylo Ren might be descended from Darth Vader but Rey doesn’t need to be a Skywalker too in order to end him and his reign.

Twinverse (for duplicates): Twins run in the Skywalker line, and B(rey)ha and Pad(mey) were no exception. Named for both of Leia’s mothers, their loss hit her as hard her son’s fall to the Dark Side – and hit the girls even harder: separated for the first time in their lives, they were scattered to distant planets and lost, abandoned. So young they could barely remember their own names let alone those of their family, they grew-up like orphans until one day “Rey” found herself leaving aboard a ship whose controls fit her hands like they’d been made for her. When the Force stirred in Rey, it reached out to her sister as well and Mey went looking for the family that had never come back to find her. (I’m happy to play either Rey or Other Rey in all versions! Can also be done as Skywalker twins or nobody twins. Names changeable!)

SEQUEL TRILOGY VERSES:

Her Mother’s Daughter (alt post-TFA): Leia had always been too busy running rebellions and piecing-together governments to truly master the Force, but she knew enough to teach Rey the basics – at least until the old friends she dispatched to fetch her brother could talk him into coming back. She could have sent Rey, but after losing Han she didn’t want to let her daughter out of her sight – not so soon after finding the long-thought-dead girl again. Besides, they had so much to catch up on…and the Resistance could use a Force Sensitive woman like Breha, training or no training. And for General Organa, duty always came first.

Corrupted Coordinates (alt post-TFA): the map did not lead them to Master Skywalker. Artoo wasn’t sure if the data was corrupted or if Luke had been there at one point and then moved on – but wherever he was, it wasn’t here. Unwilling to return to the Resistance empty-handed (to fail again the way she had failed to save Han, to protect Finn) Rey went looking for every rumor of Luke she could find. Aboard the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca and R2-D2 in tow, she is determined to keep searching until she can come back to Leia with something that will give them all hope.

A Newer Hope (alt TLJ): It wasn’t Rey who finally convinced Luke Skywalker to come back to the Force, back to the Resistance, back to his sister; it was the droid Artoo Deetoo, perhaps Luke’s oldest living friend. Artoo’s old hologram reminded Luke of the boy he’d once been and the hopes that had once filled his life to brimming. Lifting her Jedi Master’s ancient X-Wing from the water had been the last task Rey completed before Luke deemed her ready to return to the galaxy and to continue her training from within the Resistance, although he was cautious about letting her progress too quickly, unable to shake his fears of creating another Kylo Ren.

A Skywalker Returned (alt TLJ): If Luke had not cut himself off from the Force he would have recognized his daughter’s presence the moment she set foot on that island. As it was, the resemblance she bore to his sister – to the woman his daughter would have been if she had lived to grow-up – seemed like a cruel joke of the Force and inspired him to push her away instead. His daughter had died alongside her mother, murdered by Ben Solo in an attempt to hide his fall to the Dark Side…or so Luke had thought. Unable to kill his little cousin, Ben instead mind-rubbed her and dumped the confused girl on an out-of-the-way planet. He never expected the girl from Jakku to come back to haunt him – but the Force has a way of returning things to their proper balance, and Kylo Ren knows now that no lies will keep him safe from his long-lost cousin. Unless he can twist her to the Dark Side the way Snoke once twisted him, their next meeting will leave one or both of them dead.

The Rise of Organa-Solo (post-TLJ): Rey felt an instant connection to Han and Leia (and Kylo Ren), the Force within her whispering that this was the family she sought. Her father thought her resemblance to his beloved Leia was mere coincidence and died before learning the truth; her mother surely sensed something when they met but whether out of concern she might be wrong or hopes of sparing Rey further emotional turmoil before she started her Jedi training, Leia said nothing…and Luke had cut himself off from the Force and thus was unable to recognize his niece. Now only Leia remains to guide Rey into the Light away from Snoke’s lies and toward her destiny – but will the truth make it harder or easier for her when she has to kill her brother?

The First Jedi (alt post-TLJ): While Leia reforges the fragments of the Resistance into a New Rebellion, Rey has a mission of her own: finding other Force Sensitives and leading them with her into the Light before Kylo Ren’s agents can drag them to the Dark Side. She is no Jedi Master but she has the ancient Jedi teachings to draw from, friends to support her, and her own clarity of vision to guide her. She will learn, and she will teach. The Jedi will not end with her.

The Sunrider Option (alt TROS): With Kylo Ren dead at her hand, Rey faced Palpatine alone – but she had read the old Jedi texts and knew of a different sort of sacrifice she could make. She did as commanded and struck him down, claiming her position as Empress of the Sith – but severed herself from the Force at the same time. The spirits of the Sith moved from him to her…and found nothing waiting there that could house them. They faded, dissipating into nothing but impotent screams. Before the Final Order could realize the ritual had failed, she gave the command for their fleet to stand down. The combined Resistance and Free People’s Fleets destroyed most of their ships before they could fight back or flee, and Rey returned to her friends alive and untainted – but forever sundered from the Force. Now she does her best to pass her training on to Finn so he can guide the new generation of Jedi that she will never be a part of…and learns to live with a world that will feel forever muffled, forever less.

The Balance Restored (post TROS): While Poe Dameron, Rose Tico, Kaydel co Connix, and the other leaders of the Resistance turn their hand from rebellion to building a government, Rey has a mission of her own: finding other Force Sensitives and training them as Leia did her. From the fragments of the Jedi Order, something new will rise – something that is not bound by the limitations of the Jedi Code or the sins of Jedi past, but something nonetheless firmly rooted in the Light. She will restore balance to the galaxy one student at a time, starting with her first apprentice: Finn.

Rebel Daughter (pre-TFA divergence): Breha was not lost when her brother fell to the Dark Side. She grew-up amidst the strain and stress of political upheaval and imminent war, but she also grew-up surrounded by family. Breha’s devotion to the Resistance is total – almost. The loss of her brother cut her too deep for even the dozens of unofficial aunts, uncles, and quasi-siblings of her parents’ friends and allies to assuage – but dragging Ben back to the Light would do it. Breha refuses to give up on the big brother she once adored, no matter what Uncle Luke or her parents caution her, but will she risk the continued survival of the Resistance she loves on her certainty that Ben is still in there somewhere, and she can bring him back? She tells herself it’s the will of the Force guiding her – but maybe she just misses her brother.

Scoundrel Daughter (pre-TFA divergence): when Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side, Leia and Han decided that the Force was too dangerous for their remaining child. Duty demanded that General Organa stay with her burgeoning Resistance, so Han and Chewie took young Breha away from war and into the safety of the seedier side of life. She grew up more on the Falcon than off, flitting from port to port and learning the tricks of the smuggler trade rather than the ways of the Force. It wasn’t until Hosnian Prime met its grim fate that they came home to Leia, joining the Resistance for a desperate mission to Starkiller Base – and Breha’s first confrontation with her brother since she had been a little girl and he had not yet become a monster.

Dark Lady of Ren (pre-TFA divergence): When young Ben Solo proved resistant to Snoke’s manipulations he set his sights on an easier target: the boy’s baby sister. His assault on the Jedi Temple left many survivors, but it had all been a distraction so he could kidnap Breha. Raised to the Dark Side and indoctrinated with the beliefs of the First Order, Kreya Ren has few memories of any life before and even less interest in uncovering them. With her family convinced that she died thirteen years ago, she might never have discovered her origins – save that Poe Dameron knew the moment they came face to face who this woman who looked so much like Leia had to be. That had been Kreya’s first mission as a Knight of Ren and she took Dameron’s escape and the defection of the traitor FN-2187 personally. Vowing to destroy the Resistance once and for all, Kreya Ren never expected to discover a brother barring her way – nor parents who refused to accept that she would never turn her back on the Dark Side.

Orderly Mechanic (pre-TFA divergence): The First Order was never picky about where it harvested its resources – or about how willing they were. Rey didn’t want to leave Jakku but she wasn’t given a choice when stormtroopers marched over the sands “recruiting” anyone useful. She was barely a teenager but everyone knew she was good with machines and they needed people to keep their ships spaceworthy. At least she’s learned a lot, although “traveling the galaxy” probably would be more exciting if she ever got to step foot off the ships for more than the occasional dirtside repair. Being a young and self-taught prodigy has netted Rey few friends among her co-workers, but some of the stormtrooper recruits at least are nice to the girl who helps fix their boots and blasters…and so far no one, not even Rey herself, has realized that her instinctive avoidance of Kylo Ren is anything more than ordinary prudence. And every day, her lost family feels a little further away…

More Coming Soon! like literally as soon as soon as someone asks for or suggests one, I love AUs. Don’t be shy!

LEGENDS EU VERSES:

Another Desert Daughter (as Shmi’s great-granddaughter): Luke felt an instant connection to the new Jedi trainee the moment Rey stepped into the temple. Here was yet another Force user from Tatooine, another orphaned child of the sands who dreamed beyond the confines of her hot and distant world, like Taihiri Veila and himself before them. So why did the extent of her powers frighten him? Was it because the coincidental resemblance of her features and his niece’s, his sister’s, had Luke making the mental leap to yet another Jedi from Tatooine? But this girl was no Vader, surely! Of course, if he had known that she too carried Skywalker blood in her veins, Luke might have let himself worry more…but Shmi Skywalker had died too quickly to tell her son that there was another. (can be set at any time in Legends Continuity but probably not NJO because I don’t know it)

Lost Hapan Princess (as Allana Djo Solo): deeming it too dangerous to hide her daughter in plain sight with Han and Leia Organa-Solo, Tenel Ka sent Allana to Dathomir after faking her death – but the ship never made it there. Left on the nearest planet for safe-keeping by her escort while they dealt with the threat pursing them, Allana soon found herself abandoned and alone. Her memories damaged by the upheaval in the Force following Caedus’s fall and Abeloth’s rise, she spent the next several years sure of nothing but that she had family out there somewhere who would be coming back for her…but as the amnesiac girl drew inward to shield herself from the darkness in the Force, Tenel Ka was forced to conclude that her deception about her daughter’s death had become the truth: Allana was gone. But the Force wasn’t done with the woman now called Rey just yet… (for post-LOTF interactions)

Littlest Solo Sister (as Breha Organa-Solo): either taking Anakin Solo’s place as the youngest of the three Solo children, standing alongside Anakin as the second set of Organa-Solo twins, or as the fourth and youngest of the siblings, Breha grew-up as the daughter of the New Republic’s Chief of State and the niece of the Jedi Grand Master. It was a life that involved lots of affection from a host of unofficial aunts and uncles, the occasional kidnapping, and training in the Jedi Temple on Yavin Four. It eventually involved war as well, interspersed with tragedy and darkness. (can be set at any time in Legends Continuity but I really don’t know the NJO so assistance with details may be necessary if you want that)

More Coming Soon! like literally as soon as soon as someone asks for or suggests one, I love AUs. Don’t be shy!

#rules #verses #rp style #sw rp #ooc ramblings #for mobile users

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thegirlwholied · 8 years ago

Note

Hiya! Since you're my go-to lover of SW Extended Universe, I was wondering if you had any recs for where to start reading within the EU and/or what some of your favorites are?

I legitimately have Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion on my coffee table at the moment (since on May the 4th I grabbed a pile of visual-guides etc. from my library to rapidly study for a bar’s Star Wars trivia night) so this is inevitably going to be one of those My Time Has Come!!! posts.

Short answer is YES and there will be Choose Your Adventure Options.

Big Caveat, though, aka the cream & sugar with which to take this answer:

- Most of my Star Wars reading took place between ages 9-14 & the limited rereading I’ve done has mostly been post Rogue One & mostly skimming; this also means we’re talking Ye Olde EU here & at that mostly pre-2004 EU.

Also? A thing to know about the EU?

A lot of the “entry points” are kickoffs of 9-book series… or a 19-book series…or trilogies, including one with a sequel duology. So do you want:

Standalone?

Series Starter?

Short Stories?

Comics Instead?

Total Random Sampler if you want to go In Media Res to the nth degree?

All right, let’s go. ;D

Standalone.

Han/Leia focus?

For solid Leia characterization as well as banter-romance, some finding-out-Shmi-Skywalker-exists prequels shenanigans, & a plot about art from Alderaan (and secret Rebel codes), Tatooine Ghost.

For a Glorious Hot Mess… okay no probably don’t read Courtship of Princess Leia, but please do read this article on it.

Other focus?

Truce at Bakura - very sci-fi-y, very Imperial v. Rebel bidding for planetary political support plot-y, immediately after Return of the Jedi. Bonus for Anakin’s Force ghost visiting Leia… but I forgot more than I remember of this one so can’t vouch for much without a reread.

Series Starter.

For ladies with lightsabers, villains who like art, and crazy clone stuff before anybody knew what the clone wars were supposed to be:

Heir to the Empire, 1st in the Thrawn Trilogy: the “It is Known” of the EU.

It was the real-life kickstarter of the main books, & the classic answer to your question. And it is hyped for reasons; while half of them are Zahn’s original creations (Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Thrawn himself, Pellaeon, plus just New Republic & politics), a lot of it is just solidly managing a Han&Leia&Luke who feel and talk like their movie selves.

(Also, you’ve probably heard of Mara as Luke’s wife and pretty importantly? Very much not so in this trilogy, which is not to say the tension isn’t there. You could time jump the 10 years right to the Hand of Thrawn duology where the romantic tension is more Overtly There, since the in-between 10 years can be more or less handwaved as ‘New Republic & Jedi Academy Adventures Occurred’).

But my personal series pick:

X-Wing: Rogue Squadron. A 9-book series (+ a recent 10th follow-up feauring. one of Wedge’s daughters, which is on my to-read list since Allston, who wote 4 of the 9, may be my favorite EU writer).

The first 4 books are one Rogue Squadron arc; the second 3 are a separate trilogy (Wraith Squadron); next two are follow-ups but also kind of standalone adventures & I think the last, Starfighters of Adumar, may be the best beloved.

I’m a big judge-novels-by-their-first-sentence person, and the EU novels are…rarely great by that measurement. But Rogue Squadron starts with You’re good, Corran, but you’re no Luke Skywalker, which really is an excellent introduction to how this tie-in material is going to roll and to a brand-new Star Wars character (particularly as Corran’s reaction to that statement from Wedge tells us most of what we need to know about him & his biggest flaws on p. 1.)

Yes, lots of space battles; yes, almost all totally new characters aside from Wedge Antilles (but the “cameos” are great, when Luke & Leia etc. do show up); has its boys’ club feeling moments (most of our main ladies are love interests for one of the main pilots; even my beloved Wraith Squadron has The Girl™ syndrome). But the plots are about as good as the EU gets, and I have badly wanted this to be a TV series since I was small.

+, by book 2 of the X-Wing series you get 3 Star Wars ladies all in the same room talking to each other: Mirax Terrik (smuggler), Iella Wessiri (basically a detective who became an Intelligence officer), & Winter (many things, including Leia’s original BFF, but mainly undercover operative). And there’s 4 other plot-significant female characters I can think of in that book alone (2 on the good side, 2 less so), as well as a really excellent Leia cameo scene.

Alternate starting point: Just go with X-Wing #5, Wraith Squadron, as you don’t really need the first 4 to follow, & it laces much more humor in with the action, with added focus on 2 pilots from the original trilogy (Hobbie & Wes Janson, & this is why everyone loves Janson) as well as Wedge. Fewer ladies, although Tyria Sarkin is pretty darn great.

Controversial starting point: From what I’ve seen of EU fandom, folks either love the New Jedi Order or hate it, and while (like most Star Wars books) it has Certain Things I take issue with… I mostly loved it, and Vector Prime, which kicks off the 19-book-series, was part of why.

Of the Solo kids, Jacen & Jaina had their own series (Young Jedi Knights) and Anakin had his own (Junior Jedi Knights); in the adult books, they’d mostly been little and played minor roles either a) being adorable or b) being kidnapped. Here is where they’re suddenly part of Real Galactic Shenanigans and the crisis of their generation kicks in.

It also marked the end of all’s well that end’s well era in Star Wars books, for, as Han puts it (thank you, Goodreads quotes):

“I had built this bubble around us. Around all of us-you, me, Chewie, the kids, Luke, Mara, even Lando. Heck, even the stupid droids. We were all in it, you know. In it and safe, a cozy family. Nothing could hurt us—could really hurt us.”

Also feat. Jaina Solo being the best damn up-and-coming pilot in the galaxy able to fly circles around her brothers.

Short Stories

Good option if you want a taste of the Primary EU authors’ styles without committing, and if you like shorts in general. (There’s a huge new short story anthology coming & I’m cautiously interested, since I remember these as fun):

Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales from Jabba’s Palace (you can meet Mara Jade here if you don’t want to commit to the Thrawn trilogy), Tales from the New Republic (includes the novella-length “Interlude at Darkknell” briefly feat. Bail Organa’s personal messenger “Aach” and more finding-out-about-the-Death-Star-plans shenanigans)

Comics Instead

Rogue Squadron had a comic series too, completely separate from the novels/set earlier, & while I never read all (outlet mall had a bunch of the graphic novels for $2 and I swooped them up when I was 12), I’ve reread the ones I have, plenty. Would definitely recommend.

(Rogue One feels, with this comics quote, from the best lady pilot of the comic series: “Sometimes the only way evil can be defeated is by the selfless, sacrificial efforts of good people. We can only hope that when our time comes, the cause is as noble and the need as great.”)

And I remember liking the Mara Jade: By the Emperor’s Hand graphic novel.

Crazy Sampler Option

Where *I* started: Junior Jedi Knights: Vader’s Fortress, 9th birthday gift.

Surprise to me, Star Wars books exist! Surprise, Han and Leia have kids and one of them is Anakin Solo, age eleven, with the weight of being named after the ‘good man who was’ Anakin Skywalker on his shoulders & also ice blue eyes; surprise, he is now the love of my nine-year-old life.

Surprise, this is actually the 5th book in the ongoing Junior Jedi Knight series but the in media res did not phase me (helped by 90s-style reintroductions).

…in fact it made me like it better than I might have starting from the top. Maybe because I love mysteries, maybe because I’ve always gotten my books from libraries first & foremost & so would just grab whatever was available, I have started many a series, both accidentally and on purpose, with a book that was Very Much Not the First In the Series; if I like it, I usually backtrack.

Absolutely No One suggests Junior Jedi Knights as a starting point… But. Adult!Me still gives an approving nod to some Really Nice Things here:

-this was my intro to the Luke’s Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, and I will forever love the aesthetic of his Jedi Academy being in the temple from A New Hope

-the best pseudo-Yoda-figure in the EU, with huggable Muppet-ready design.

-Immediately passes the Bechdel test thanks to conversation between Jedi instructor Tionne & Anakin’s BFF Tahiri (the Childhood Friend Romance Trope is strong in this series)

-Tionne herself, who names her ship Lore Seeker because she’s all about history and bought said ship “for a song” (traded an ancient song about the ‘very first Randoni merchants and the vaults where they hid their wealth’).

-I totally don’t still have this book and have it open in front of me at all what no

-You know how in Harry Potter Dumbledore writes a very nice letter back to Petunia explaining why she can’t come to Hogwarts? Luke… is not Dumbledore. Luke deals with Uldir, teenage son-of-two-cargo-pilots & stowaway who shows up on Yavin 4, desperate to become a Jedi despite zero Force talent, by letting him stay & participate in what training he could.

-the plot: Vader kept Kenobi’s lightsaber (because of course) and they go to retrieve it at Vader’s Fortress.

- no lava because Mustafar wasn’t in-canon yet but yes otherwise it could basically be Vader’s Fortress from Rogue One exactly. Same aesthetic! You could consider this his Other Castle. The summer cottage.

-Anakin Solo finding Vader’s “bedroom” aka creepy sleeping cylinder, complete with tiny hologram of Luke Skywalker

So yes my randomly-ordered suggested-just-dive-the-heck-in sample pack, based more on “here are my favorite Star Wars book people and why I love them”, would include:

- Junior Jedi Knights: Vader’s Fortress

- Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers (aka pay attention to what you’re doing kids or you might get your arm cut off or worse be the one to cut off the arm of the girl you like)

- the Mara comic if you’re not quite feeling All of the Thrawn

- Rogue Squadron: Blood & Honor comic (because it is the one place you’ll get the full storyline on ‘who are these Fel people who keep coming up?’, meet Corran & Iella in their CorSec days, & Plourr gets to be great.)

- “Interlude at Darkknell” - it’s Stackpole (X-Wing writer) AND Zahn (Thrawn) co-writing, so you get a feel for them both, AND it’s short (…+ ”Aach”

X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar, if you’re only going to read one of the nine

New Jedi Order was By No Means designed for any to be read as standalones and so I think delving in out of context would be an Experience but… If I Had to Pick One…

I would cheat like a scoundrel & pick 2 and say the Enemy Lines duology, for both plot & dialogue & the best take on the Old Guard of the Rebel Alliance At War Again, but especially the dialogue (as quotable & memorable throughout as the EU gets).

#gemini-melia #answers #star wars #star wars eu #star wars expanded universe #ye olde eu #book recs #it's actually a little scary to look at Star Wars book lists up to a certain year and just go ...yup #read those #hadn't reread in so long and am slowly working my way through the X-Wing 9 #slowwwwwwwly especially for me because i never seem to make time to read anymore :(#(try to spend it writing instead)#reread a little of Hand of Thrawn in order to write my one Cassian x Jyn in the EU fic #have another oneshot in the series that's def going to be set in the Rogue Squadron era taking of Coruscant #tried reskimming Rebel Dawn for its bit of Toprawa and I cannot in good conscience recommend the Han Solo trilogy #I was iffy about it at eleven and a little more *facepalm* at it now #(Bria Tharen: a woman of really fascinating flaws and wayyyy too many perfections)#(strip away the perfections by which i really mean 'every item ever on a Mary Sue checklist' and you have a realllly interesting character)#(and someone a lot more like Cassian and Jyn thank you Rogue One)#i haven't reread Black Fleet or Corellian trilogy or Jedi Academy in so long #remember the plots but not *loving* anything #I remember I Jedi as kind of a solid fixit for Jedi Academy #but also having Corran yell at Luke was very... me age 15 inventing a character specifically to yell at Dumbledore for how he treated Sirius #and also if you don't like Corran in third person he'll be insufferable in first #also Mirax is sidelined for all of I Jedi #and while the Corran and her father teamup I remember as hilarious #not worth it #always more ladies in Star Wars #always

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