#once my thoughts are in order

[theluckiestlb]

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

I cannot wait for this Stan to reconnect with his Ford.

I still haven't figured out HOW exactly they'll meet yet, but I do think that Ford would ATTACH himself to Stanley and talk his ears off forever when they eventually get comfortable :] and Stanley would listen because HOLY SHIT, THAT'S HIS BRO HE HASN'T SEEN FOR 40-ISH YEARS, HE MISSED HIS VOICE. Nonstop certified Yapper & Listener relationship <3

Stanley looks dead faced because of his ingrained poker face, but he's thouroughly enjoying it, even if sometimes he has no idea what the fuck Ford is saying. He never interrupts him though, since he knows people usually ignore or interrupt him mid-talk already. So sometimes Stan gets stuck in awkward situations where he has to leave or do stuff, but also doesn't have it in his heart to stop Ford and extract himself out of a (one-sided) conversation.

[vuelode-irbis]

Day 28 - Favourite

And that's a wrap! This is a redraw of a photo I really like of my favourite wildcat.

[ID: digital painting of a cheetah sitting on top of a small hill with golden and yellow short-grasses, she's bowing her head down to smell a tall, white flower. The background is a blue sky that darkens with the height, and a big, pinkish cloud that frames the cheetah. End ID]

Thank you so much to everyone who reblogged and specially to @mammoth-clangen for creating the prompt list I followed this month, it was very fun! Also for resharing my entries :D

I want to add I based this cheetah's markings off of Kike's! A female cheetah of whom I read a little on Big Cat Diary: Cheetahs, she appears on the cover of the book and was very loved by the authors

I couldn't for the life of mine find the original source of the reference image, I'm very sorry because the only photos I found with reverse search were reposts, my deepest apologies to the original photographer, here's the link to the pin I had saved.

[masteraqua]

there are a couple big picture things i really want to talk about with my kh3 reimagining, but i don't want to have to wait to explain them in depth or context. i just want to get to the point already!!!

well the good news is that this isn't a fic and i can do whatever i want ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

the first thing i want to talk about is the power of waking. i've heard the in-game explanation for it a dozen times and it still just reads as confused gibberish to me. note that this isn't an invitation to explain it to me again. i know what the game says and i just don't like it.

but i do think it has potential!

so here's how i'm reinterpreting it: the power of waking is simply connecting to a broken or lost heart and easing the pain that's keeping it locked in a state of slumber. we see something like this occur at various points throughout the series, notably in kh1 when kairi restored sora's heart, and then again at the end of ddd when riku dove into sora's heart. these miraculous feats are only possible because of how deep their bonds with one another go, so what we're seeing is a manifestation of how much sora's friends care for him.

the "power of waking" isn't some mystical ability granted upon passing an arbitrary test, nor is it a convoluted puzzle to solve.

it's love.

and here's why that matters: sora's core themes are empathy and the fundamental belief in the power of connections. he forms relationships as easily as breathing and holds on to them tight. they're what make him who he is. "my friends are my power" "i am who i am because of them" "the heart's true nature is to never ever let go" so on and so forth

so then what happens when you care so deeply for other people that you begin to erode your own sense of self, maybe without even realizing it? friends can—and should—share their burdens with one another; it makes you stronger as individuals and as companions. but no one can take on the weight of the entire world's pain without it breaking them in the process.

but when presented with the three hearts sleeping inside him, that's exactly what sora tries to do. that's how he abuses the power of waking.

every time sora wakes a sleeping heart, the pain he confronts changes him, little by little. it's not noticeable at first, but in the literal sense, those memories become a part of him, and they begin wearing away at the parts that make him sora.

naminé outright says in recoded that the enormity of the hurt contained within sora could destroy him. and in the end, it will—not because he lacks the strength to face it, but because he doesn't respect his own boundaries as a person. as far he's concerned, he's nothing without his friends anyway.

so yeah! i think this reinterpretation is not only a cleaner way to tie things together, but it gets directly to the heart (ha) of sora's personal struggles. no time travel or nature taboos necessary.

[willowser]

your car starts making a concerning sound and you tell katsuki about it off-hand, a lil frowny about having to take it into the shop, and you come home from work the next day to him and his dad covered in grease and trying to fix it in the garage

[ardnin]

[ace-octo-pix]

your motherfucking life ends five seconds from now

[avpdpossum]

chanting “i am allowed to do this” out loud over and over while ordering delivery from a place i’ve never ordered from before. because i’m mentally well and am a normal amount of scared of doing things. now if you’ll excuse me, i have to get back to stewing in anxiety for the next 30-40 minutes while they make my food. like any normal person would.

[luna-the-cretar]

GUYS

I LITERALLY MADE THE JOKE THAT I WAS GONNA STEAL SOMEONES PLUSHIES THROUGH THE SCREEN IF MINE DIDNT ARRIVE SOON AND THEY FUCKING. ARRIVED LIKE 8 HOURS LATER

They heard me 🥹

[lurkingshan]

Holy shit The Miracle of Teddy Bear is one of the best Thai dramas I have ever seen and I cannot believe how misunderstood it is

[coochiekrab]

I became a proud cory mom the other day

[dukeofthomas]

"Angry robin" "violent robin" "misbehaving robin" shut up and accept my alternative; spunky Robin. Determined and head strong, can out-stubborn the Batman, has a strong moral-backbone and does what he thinks is right regardless of what anybody else says, Robin. Jason who was sassy and quippy and made crude jokes with a smile on his face. Jason who hid in Bruce's cape and whispered gossip to him. Jason who, if Bruce refused him something, could keep bothering endlessly until Bruce caved. And also dramatic Jason. If Bruce tells him no, it becomes a whole theatrical show; a monologue, a narration, embellishments, and falling onto the floor in his grief upon the fact his cruel father has denied him once again.

(Jason who has suffered through abuse and homelessness and poverty and starvation, who is the Fight out of Fight or Flight, who's built up defenses and walls and when pushed and triggered responds with the thing that's always protected him; anger. He's sweet and kind and funny, and when he sees a pimp hitting a prostitute he gets furious and responds with violence.)

[stompandhollar]

i think i need to write out my thoughts on the “us versus all of them” character dynamic that lives in my head 24/7.

Like the “fuck everyone but me and you, only us, i will forgive anything that you do, you know me inside and out and i will excuse anything if it means staying by your side” dynamic. Doesn’t matter if it’s platonic, familial, romantic— anything, as long as it’s THEM verses everyone else.

[apuff]

my chemical tober :D

[varpusvaras]

Fox knew what it was like to be tired.

He knew it like it was a physical thing he had carried around with him for years. He knew the weight of it, the way it would drag him down, threatening to pull him through the floor and the ground and through the core of the planet, until he would fall into the endless void of space. During the worst of it, Fox would wonder it that was the only way he was ever going to feel weightless again.

The few hours of sleep he would get during the nights would only make him be able to carry the weight a little easier for the time being, but not make it any lighter. It was something more at that point, Fox had realised, something that would not be cured with just simply closing his eyes for a moment.

So, when Thorn asked him, the moment before Fox stepped onto the ship that would take him away from Coruscant permanently, what was the first thing Fox would do when he got to Alderaan, Fox had an answer ready.

"Sleep", he said. "I'm going to get into a real bed and sleep."

He truly meant it. He also meant it when he told Bail the same, and he meant it when he told it to Breha too.

They all agreed that it was a good idea.

"We're going to take care of everything", Breha promised him.

"You can just rest now", Bail said, and tucked Fox a little closer to him. "Just sleep."

The bed was comfortable, Bail and Breha were warm and safe next to him, and Fox was so, so tired.

He didn't need to be told twice. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

---

Fox opened his eyes.

It was still dark in the bedroom. He was still tucked securely against Bail, with Breha pressed close against his other side. They were both still sleeping.

Fox was fully awake.

He craned his neck a little to see the chrono on Breha's nightstand. 4.15. Precisely the time Fox had woken up every single morning during the war.

Fox turned to look at the ceiling. He counted to ten. The time was still 4.15.

He closed his eyes and tried to match his breathing first to Bail's, then to Breha's, but in vain. He was awake.

Fox opened his eyes and looked at the time. 4.23.

He laid there, looking at the chrono as the minutes slowly ticked by. By 4.30, there was a feeling creeping in. Fox knew it very well. It was the same feeling he had felt every single time he had been stuck in the medbay for any longer period of the time, while he acutely knew that he had work waiting for him.

Restlessness.

By 4.45, he was starting to feel almost anxious. The bed was comfortable and warm, and Bail and Breha were still sleeping, and Fox didn't want to get up, but he wasn't so sure if he could stay in the bed for much longer either.

4.50. 4.55. 4.58. 4.59.

5.00.

Very slowly and very carefully, Fox slid out of Bail's hold and away from Breha, and after making sure that they were still sleeping, he quietly made it out of the bed, grabbed Bail's robe and put it on himself, and then sneaked out of the bedroom.

He didn't do much. He just walked around for a bit in their living room, getting the anxiousness out of his body and his legs to stop tingling, and then he sit down on their couch and looked out of the window. The sun was rising at that point, making the sky pale where it touched down on the mountaintops.

Bail's robe was soft and warm and smelled faintly of Bail's cologne. Fox got a datapad, selected a random video of how to make a some sort of buttercheese pastry, and he buried himself deeper into the robe and watched it. Then he watched through whatever videos the site was suggesting for him, until the sky was painted warm, and he could hear an alarm go off in the bedroom.

It took another few minutes until Breha appeared next to him.

"Oh", she said, and turned to look over her shoulder. "I found your robe, dear!"

Then she sat next to Fox and put her arm around him.

"Have you been awake for long?" She asked. There was no accusation in her voice, and Fox felt a sting of guilt for expecting it to be there.

"For a while", Fox answered. He looked at the time on the datapad. 6.56. "I...couldn't sleep."

He felt somehow like he had failed at something when he said it. Breha only nodded slowly, before she sighed softly, and put her head on Fox's shoulder.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

To that, Fox thankfully had a better answer.

"I did", he said. He really had. It had probably been the best sleep of his entire life.

"That's good", Breha said, and lifted her head enough to kiss him on the cheek. "Now, there's going to be caf in just a moment. The usual for you? Black, with a lot of sugar?"

Fox really should be cutting back the sweeteners in his caf, he knew that. But maybe, just this once.

"Exactly that", he answered, just as Bail also made his way into the living room.

"We need to get you your own", he said, looking at Fox. Then he paused for a moment, before adding, "not that you don't look cute in that."

Fox stuck out his tongue at him. Bail only laughed.

---

Fox went to sleep that night, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He woke up at 4.15.

He waited until 4.45, and then slid out of the bed.

---

Fox went to sleep, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He woke up at 4.15.

He laid there for ten more minutes, before he slid out of the bed.

---

Fox went to sleep, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He woke up at 4.15.

He was fully awake, but he felt so heavy. He wanted to just keep laying there, in the warm bed, in the warm and safe embrace he was yet again lovingly wrapped in.

But no. His body soon begun to tell him that he needed to get up, right now, or he was going to have to tear his own skin off.

Fox slid out of the bed, made it to the living room, and collapsed onto the couch.

He was so tired. He wanted to sleep.

Breha and Bail definitely looked concerned when they saw him there that morning.

"Do you want to go see the doctors?" Breha asked him carefully.

"I don't know", Fox told her. He shouldn't have to. He was tired. He wanted to sleep.

---

Fox went to sleep, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He woke up at 4.15.

He was fully awake. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep.

Fox forced his eyes shut. He laid there as long as he could, before he had to get up.

He wasn't so careful with it that time, and Bail opened his eyes as he was halfway out.

"Fox?" He asked, groggily, lifting his head. "Where are you going?"

Fox crumpled the sheets in his fists.

"I can't sleep", he choked out, and then fled the bedroom.

Bail followed him a couple of minutes later, and quietly and gently gathered Fox in his arms, and sat with him on the couch, watching a random video after random video, until Breha's alarm went off.

Breha asked Fox about the doctors again. Fox still didn't have an answer for her.

He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep.

What else should he have needed?

---

Fox went to sleep, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He woke up at 4.15.

Fox couldn't stop the frustrated and desperate sob from escaping from his mouth before it was too late. Both Bail and Breha were awakened by it, and by the time they had realised what was going on, Fox was already full-on crying.

"I just want to sleep!" Fox wailed, biting his teeth together so hard that it hurt his jaw. "I just want to sleep!"

He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to keep them shut, but of course, it didn't work.

He was fully awake.

He was so tired. He wanted to sleep.

Breha made the decision for Fox then and there.

"I'm taking you to the doctors", she said, leaving no room for any arguments, not that Fox had any left anyway.

---

The doctor said that Fox's body was still in the so-called "stress mode". It had not yet realised that it was out of the danger, out of the stressful environment it had been forced to operate in for so long.

It was going to take time, apparently, for it to snap out of it. In the meanwhile, Fox got a prescription for something that was supposed to help him sleep.

The doctor gave the medicine to Breha and told her the dosage. Fox thought that it was for the best as well.

---

Fox took his medicine, went to sleep, tired and ready to sleep for the next week.

He was awakened by the alarm. He watched as Breha and Bail got up.

"Do you want to stay in bed for a bit longer?" Bail asked him softly.

Fox nodded. He had slept, but he didn't feel like it at all.

Bail brushed his hair gently back from his face. Breha kissed him just as gently on the forehead before they headed out.

He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep.

Fox cried himself silently back to the sleep that didn't feel like sleep at all.

---

Fox kept his head up, even though it weighed a ton, and he wanted nothing more than to just let it drop down, down, down.

He knew what being tired felt like. It was all that he had ever known, after all.

He blinked. People around him had moved. Oh, right. They were going to have dinner with Bail's family. Fox liked them a lot. He hoped that they liked him as well.

He blinked again. Tia was saying something to him. Fox liked Tia. She was like a smaller Bail, without a beard and a lot more hair.

Fox turned to look at her. She was shorter than him, just a bit. Not a lot, but he still needed to look down if he wanted to look her in the eyes.

He looked down, down, down, past her eyes, past her, down, down, down.

He was so tired.

He just wanted to sleep.

---

Breha bit on her thumbnail.

"Stop that", Bail said, and grabbed her wrist. "You're making it bleed."

Breha would've almost preferred that, if she was being completely honest.

"I know, I just-" She had to pause to gather her thoughts. "I just feel so awful. How did I not notice that it was not working?"

"He was sleeping more", Bail said. He ran his thumb soothingly up and down her wrist. "We knew that he was tired. It doesn't get better in a few days. I didn't notice either."

Breha appreciated him trying to make it sound better, even if it was not working.

Veda opened the door then, and motioned them in.

"Bad news? He's exhausted, and has a little bump and a bruise on his head", she started, scrolling through the diagnosis on her datapad. "Good news? He's sleeping now, and the bump and the bruise will fade in a few days."

Bail squeezed Breha's shoulder.

"What should we do?" He asked.

"Let him sleep", Veda answered. "His body has finally said enough. Make sure that he eats and keeps himself hydrated. I will come and check on him as often as you want."

Breha let herself breathe a little deeper.

"Thank you", she said. Veda smiled a bit.

"It's not the first time I've seen this", she said. "It took a while for Index and the boys to start getting actual rest. They kept waking up in the middle of the night, fully awake and feeling like they needed to get to work. They're better now. Fox will also get better, I promise."

Breha was going to hold onto that promise.

Fox looked very small by himself on the bed, with the blanked wrapped all around him. He didn't wake up when Breha slid onto the bed next to him and wrapped her arms around him as well.

---

Fox slept through the rest of the day like a stone, barely moving at all. Breha kept telling herself that it was alright, that he was finally resting.

Fox did finally move, when they both went to sleep as well. He shifted a little when Breha rested her head over his chest and Bail wrapped his arm around his middle. He made a small sound, and then sagged back against the pillows with a deep sigh.

His heartbeat was strong against Breha's ear. She fell asleep listening to its steady drumming.

---

Fox woke up the next day just before noon. He went to the bathroom, ate a bowl of light soup their chef had made for him, drank a glass of water Bail gave him, mumbled I love you to them, and went back to bed.

He was out again the moment his head hit the pillow.

Bail draped the blanket over him.

"At least he is sleeping", he said. "I'll do my work from here today."

Breha nodded.

"Update me if anything happens", she made him promise.

---

Bail sent her the first picture ten minutes into the first hearing of the day.

Breha quickly glanced at it in between the speakers.

Fox had grabbed onto the rest of the pillows as well, and stuffed them halfway inside his blanket.

He has made his claim read the message accompanying the picture.

The picture made something unwind further in her chest.

It would be okay, she told herself.

---

"Did you sleep well?" Breha asked, twirling Fox's hair around her finger.

"Mm-mmh", Fox hummed, already mostly asleep again. Breha peppered light kisses on his cheeks and nose before he was fully under again.

---

The Cocoon has moved, Bail messaged her at the end of the weeks Council meeting. In the attached picture, Fox had apparently rolled over to the other side of the bed from where Breha had left him that morning. His hair was sticking up a bit, and he had a small pout on his face as he slept.

He was so very adorable. Breha saved the image for herself.

---

Fox slept through the last two days of the week as well, with barely stirring for longer than a few minutes at a time.

Zhellday morning he blinked awake around ten, properly hungry for the first time in a while, and ate a good breakfast and a light lunch soon on top of it. He went back to bed after, but didn't fall back asleep right away.

"How are you feeling?" Bail asked him.

Fox blinked at couple of times, his nose scrunching up in thought.

"Tired", he said. "Better. But sweaty."

Bail laughed.

"You've been toasting inside the blankets for a while", he said. "I'll draw you a bath."

Fox smiled back at him, a little wobbly.

"Thank you", he said, and then promptly fell back asleep.

Bail shook his head, and went to the bathroom to warm up the bathtub.

---

"Have I ever told you about the time I decided to run away from home?" Bail asked.

"No?" Fox turned to look at him, after blinking slowly first. He was shoulders in to the water, with the foaming soap already stuck to one side of his face.

"I was around ten", Bail started, rolling his sleeves up more and putting his hands into the water to scoop it up. He poured the water over Fox's head a few times over, before getting the shampoo. "Back then I really didn't want to grow up to be a Nobleman."

He poured the shampoo to his hands and rubbed them together slightly, before starting to work it into Fox's hair.

"I do remember that", Fox mumbled. He tilted his head forward a bit to give Bail better access. "You wanted to go adventuring around the Galaxy."

"I did", Bail nodded. "It was really getting to me, at that point. I would spend all the time I could outside, living inside my games, predenting I was far, far away from Kathou, from Alderaan altogether. I thought this place was boring back then."

He still remembered it clearly, although not too vividly. Too much had changed during the years between that and the current moment. Now, Bail didn't know anything better than Alderaan.

He got the shampoo in, and got more water to rinse it out. They had gotten a good conditioner as well, one that promised that it was made to keep curly hair like Fox's soft and moisturised. The soaps the GAR had used had definitely not been made with the clone's hair in mind.

"I was awake one night, later than I should've been", Bail continued, as he started to gently massage the conditioner to Fox's hair. "I was thinking of sneaking into the library and getting one of the books to read, when I heard my parents talk. They were debating over sending me to a school to learn some discipline and responsibility. I feel a bit funny over how much that thought upset me then. I was definitely a bit spoiled."

He felt especially silly about it now, sitting next to the bathtub in the Royal Palace, while washing his husband's hair for him. His husband, who had known nothing else than training and pain and duty his entire life before now, and was tired to the bone because of it.

Bail's parents had not even been the ones who had come up with the idea of sending him to a boarding school for a year or two. It had been his grandfather, and his parents had been very much against the idea, believing that Bail would grow out of it when he was older, if he just felt supported enough. They had been very right, of course. Not that Bail had stayed to listen to them for long enough to figure that out-

Fox slid deeper into the water. His eyes had closed while Bail had concentrated on getting the conditioner in.

His mouth was partially under the water now. Bail put his hand under his chin and lifted it up.

"Fox", he called. Fox startled a bit, and sent the water splashing as he scrambled to sit back up, his eyes open and wide.

"I'm awake", he said, shivering as his wet skin hit the air. "I'm awake. Sorry, what did you just say?"

There was a single curl plastered over Fox's forehead and the bridge of his nose. Bail stiffled a laugh.

"I was saying, that I think you have been in there for long enough", he said. "Let me just rinse this off."

Fox's eyes were drooping again by the time Bail had gotten a towel for him. Bail dried his hair and wrapped the towel around him, and then led him back to the bedroom.

Sometimes Bail didn't like his height and size, but sometimes being the tallest person in most rooms came in handy. His shirts were all too big for Fox, and thus easy to slip on him without too much of a fuss.

Fox's eyes were barely open as Bail got him back to bed.

"Have good dreams, my love", he said, pressing a kiss on Fox's forehead. Fox hummed, content, and just a few seconds later, he was already asleep.

Bail got his datapad and laid down next to him, opening his inbox. Fox shifted, and nuzzled in closer to Bail's side.

Bail threw his arm behind him and slipped his fingers into Fox's still slightly damp hair, and Fox settled back down with another soft, content noise.

---

Breha got back from her audiences a couple of hours later.

She opened her hair from the braid and tied it back up to a simple updo, changed out her dress to simple shirt and soft pants and laid down on the other side of Fox.

"I see that you managed to keep him from drowning in the bath", she said, leaning her head lightly on Fox's chest. Fox turned his head slightly to her direction, breathing in a little deeper.

"Had a couple of close calls", Bail laughed, and put his datapad away. "Do you want to watch something?"

"They have the new episode of House Brighterdon up", Breha said, grinning as Bail groaned. "Don't try that, I know you're just as invested as we are."

"Are you sure it's alright to watch it without Fox?" Bail asked. He was already reaching for the screen controls.

"What makes you think that Fox and I haven't already watched it?" Breha asked. "The episode was released a couple of weeks ago already, the next one is coming next week. I'm not watching that one without Fox, don't you worry."

"If you have already watched this, why are you making me watch it?" Bail asked. He was typing the name of the show in as he spoke.

"Because, like I just said, I know you're just as invested as we are. I'm just making sure that you are caught up as well, you stubborn little bantha."

Bail rolled his eyes and pressed start.

---

Fox opened his eyes.

It was still dark in the bedroom. He was still tucked securely against Bail, with Breha pressed close against his other side. They were both still sleeping.

He blinked slowly, and then lifted his head to look at the chrono on Breha's nightstand. 4.14

Fox watched as the time ticked over to 4.15.

Then he put his head back down, burrowed a little deeper under his blanket, and closed his eyes, drifting back to easy sleep.

---

Fox knew what it was like to be tired.

He knew it like it was a physical thing he had carried around with him for years. Whatever sleep he had gotten before had only made him be able to carry the weight a bit easier for a little while, but not make it weigh any less.

Fox woke up to the ringing of the alarm and the first rays of proper sunlight softly shining through the blinds.

He moved his arms and legs, hoisting himself up, and rubbed his eyes.

As he sat there, in the middle of his bed, in his bedroom, with his wife and husband waking up next to him, for the first time in his life, Fox felt lighter.

Bail leaned to press a quick kiss to the corner of Fox's mouth.

"Good morning", he said, his voice still a bit rough from the sleep. "Did you sleep well?"

Fox breathed in.

"Yes", he said.

[kanerallels]

Ok, since you opened it up to AU requests from other fandoms, and since you've been TGE-posting the last two days . . . I would LOVE to see a snippet of Maia and co. (any "and co" will do, but my first choice is Csethiro or Beshelar and Cala) in a SW AU. (Also do not feel pressured to do this. I recognize it is kind of borderline on the list of what prompts you're looking for. I'm just. I think it sounds fun.)

OH MY GOSH friend. I was literally JUST thinking about this idea. Like yesterday. This is more a set up for the au than anything else but enjoy it all the same, there is a good chance I snap and write an addition later on:

When Emperor Palpatine died suddenly (from what, it was still unknown. A failure of the heart in his sleep, poison, assassination from enemies both close at hand or mysterious were all explored and summarily rejected), the Senate went into an uproar trying to determine his heir. The Empire had only been a true Empire for fifteen years—the succession rules were unclear, to say the least. There were those who campaigned for a political replacement, for a new election.

But those closest to Emperor Palpatine claimed to know his will. That his rule would be passed on to his closest kin, his half nephew. There was much murmuring over who this half nephew was. They knew of the half brother—a proud man who, unlike his fellow Nabooans, put no stock in the beauty of art and craftsmanship, but seemed to relish the art of war and profit.

However, Varenechibel (for so he was called) had died in a ship crash earlier that year, along with his three eldest sons. The fourth remained—a half human boy of eighteen, who had been raised by a distant cousin on an Outer Rim planet, safely out of the way.

He was out of the way no longer, and rumors flew thick and fast about this Maia Drazhar—whether he would be a ruler like his uncle, if the stories of his mother were true, calling the boy himself an inbred fool who would run their Empire into the ground. Very few had any faith in him, and most hoped that Mas Amedda, the Emperor’s Grand Vizier, would steer him in the right direction.

Some, like Senator Organa or Senator Berenar, seemed to hold out hope. Though when the boy himself finally appeared—tall and awkward and dark-skinned, accompanied by his scowling guardian and an elegant looking Twi’lek man who was as pale as the new Emperor was dark—hope did seem to flicker out. It would seem, it was remarked, that Mas Amedda had his puppet after all.

This all changed a month into the new Emperor’s—who, in Naboo fashion, had chosen a ruling name of Edrehasivar—rule, during which he hired two bodyguards of decidedly non-human descent, politely ignored Mas Amedda’s every suggestion, and began quietly ruling in a way that would have made Palpatine’s heart, should he have possessed one, quail with rage and horror.

The general Senate was up in arms, Bail Organa found himself positively delighted, and a young Umbaran woman, whose family was currently in negotiations of a personal sort with the Emperor, was revising her opinions rather rapidly. Csethiro Ceredin hadn’t expected much of Emperor Edrehasivar. What she had expected had been disproved, and she found she would be very interested to see what came of the Emperor’s rule.

She was far from the only one.