#or maybe switch shows and go with “Double Agent Droid”

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

In the hours Crosshair spent carrying Mayday back to base...

Do you think Mayday's leadership skills and concern for his team reminded Crosshair just a little bit of Hunter?

Do you think Crosshair thought at all about the fact that Hunter and his other brothers had carried him off Kamino when his life was in danger after the Empire had left him behind, even after he had just held them hostage and tried to shoot Hunter with a rifle that was not set to stun?

Do you think Hunter's warning, "All you'll ever be to them is a number," went through his mind when Nolan did nothing to help Mayday and then berated Crosshair?

Do you think Crosshair maybe realized why Hunter being able to say "I did what I thought was right!" might be preferable to saying "We're soldiers, we do what needs to be done"?

...And then do you realize you're thinking way too much about "The Outpost" and it's making you really sad so you need to find something happy to watch?

[egregiousderp]

Fulcrum X Fulcrum (With Spoilers for Season Three of Rebels if that wasn't Obvious. We good? Okay~)

Okay look. I know a few things after this year’s double punch of Rebels and Rogue One:

–Cassian Andor is a former Separatist and a former Fulcrum agent apparently involved with recruiting

–Agent Kallus is apparently really good at reprogramming droids.

–Even parts of the fandom that LIKE Kallus want to see him punched.

–That jacket and hair combo’s gotta come from somewhere

–I need these assholes to meet.

–The timeline technically meshes so it could happen.

And so I ended up writing Cassian/Kallus (Cassius?) pre-slash fic snippet I might never go further with over Clone Wars Politics, Kaytoo’s Sass, Namedropping, and my old favorite: “Sad Pan Kallus is Pan As Hell.”

For the record I blame Moon for not stopping me.

——–

——–

“I’d heard a rumor some of the members of the rebellion held separatist leanings during the Clone War.”

It isn’t much in the way of conversation when you’ve been paired off with a strange man to fix an imperial droid. But it’s something considering theirs had been a conversation of false starts:

The information in this unit must be valuable.

The withering scowl back.

Kay has no information.

Or:

I didn’t catch your name.

It’s the same as yours. Fulcrum.

And his look.

That isn’t an answer.

Cassian. Cassian Andor, Rebel Intelligence.

Now Kallus is hunting for another thread, picking at the man’s accent. Rim world. Beta quadrant. Separatist territory–in Kallus’s youth anyway.

“We take what we’re given,” Cassian replies stiffly, not looking up. There’s a ways to look up for Kallus no matter what. “Wanting a droid to take the place of a man does not make a lesser rebel.”

He’s fiddling with the insides of his droid, brows knit deep and hard.

“We don’t choose where we’re born, I suppose,” Kallus defers.

“You’re from Coruscant,” there’s a scoff to the name of his homeworld, “Tell me, Captain Kallus, do they still teach the Separatists were terrorists and radicals, railing against democracy?”

He’s never told Captain Andor his name.

“It’s hard to argue with the image of a temple burning,” Kallus replies quietly.

To say the least of the horrific, withered countenance of the Emperor that had given Kallus nightmares as a child, a fear of Jedi that lasted long into his adult life.

“I don’t have to.” Cassian growls, face going hard and pinched before he’s leaning. Back down, fiddling with something in the back of his droid’s head, the lump of metal cradled in his lap like it’s the face of a child.

It’s personal, Kallus notices. This droid, this one droid matters to him or he never would have asked for the help in the first place. And it’s Imperial or any number of people probably would have helped, not just Kallus.

Kallus goes back to reattaching the droid’s right arm, to balancing the servos. He tests the motion in the metal fingers, letting the silence linger between them. He sneaks glances at the other man with the right afforded a tall, well-muscled person. No one wanted to upset him on first look, so often he could look where he pleased without issue.

Captain Andor knows he’s looking but seems bent on willfully ignoring him instead. He is a handsome man beneath the perpetual scowl, Kallus notes. Though he thinks many beings are handsome and he has no reason to believe the life of a rebel is an easy one though he’s barely begun his own.

Kallus wants to ask how he became a Fulcrum agent if he’s traveling in the company of an Imperial KX, but talks with the lilting accent of a rim-worlder.

Doesn’t

He lets his eyes slip away, bending so his head is lower than Cassian’s. The subtle quirks of body language worked into him in Imperial Intelligence. The unspoken cues that told a person to trust. To expect authority. To yield.

Cassian doesn’t look up, adding, “You should talk to Rex. About the Clone Wars. About being a clone.”

“I’ve already spoken to Captain Rex in gratitude for his service.”

“And in your texts on history was there ever a mention of his name? Of the names of any of the clones serving the Jedi?” Cassian’s accent apparently gets more pronounced when he’s riled. A dangerous trait in an agent, perhaps.

Kallus is quiet.

“…Did he really serve under General Skywalker?” He asks finally.

“So you think he’s lying?” Cassian shoots back.

“I- No,” Kallus pushes at his hair, flattening it back, “My mentor, Colonel Yularen always…spoke highly of General Skywalker. Nothing more.”

The unspoken unease that two men who once fought for the same side so closely might face off again as enemies lingers with him.

He wonders how many times he undid the work of Cassian Andor’s hands while serving the empire.

Cassian glances at him for a moment then goes back to tightening screws with angry little jerks of his arm.

“Would you still have thanked Captain Rex if he had killed General Skywalker on command?” The Rebel snaps.

Kallus grimaces.

“I don’t know what I would have done.”

The honest answer.

Perhaps not the best one because Cassian levels a look at him, seems to peer at him.

He’s a sharp man, Kallus notes. Easily his equal and should be treated as such. Stubble and bags under the eyes like he’s been camped out in a jungle on his own, and not in the great ruins of Yavin with a company of rebels. Rough edges and hard choices.

Kallus looks back at him and is sure it shows in his face that he isn’t sure if Captain Cassian Andor, Fulcrum, is what he wants to become.

He looks at the way Cassian’s hands rest almost tenderly on the dome of the droid’s head, a throwaway pile of scrap with an Imperial logo still prominently on its arm, and thinks maybe he’s precisely what he should like to become.

Cassian’s hard eyes pinch.

“You should think carefully about programming, Captain Kallus,” his voice is very soft, a handkerchief hiding a vibroblade in a dark alley, “Not all of it is done to droids.”

“It has been thoroughly brought to my attention I ought to ask more questions. Do let me know if I bore you,” Kallus replies, keeping his tone as bland as if he’s at a core dinner dressed in gold braid.

The corner of Cassian’s mouth goes up in a humorless smile, a noiseless chuff of laughter.

He toggles a switch and the KX unit’s white eyes flick back to life.

A metal hand clamps almost immediately around Kallus’s neck.

Kallus chokes, instincts leaping hard. A second metal hand bats away his blows, unfolding limb by limb.

“KAY!” Cassian shouts.

The droid’s head swiveled to him immediately.

It paused a moment, then unclamped his metal fingers from Kallus’s throat.

“…Clear of Hostiles.” A male voice intoned, a little primly.

Kallus coughed, slumped on the stones of the temple floor.

“Are you alright?” Cassian snaps, dropping to his knees with a curse.

To his surprise, Kallus laughs under his breath, rubbing his throat and jaw.

He pulls himself to his feet, waving off the other man’s hands

“Now there’s the rebel welcome I’d expected.”

Cassian’s startled into cracking a smile, quickly trying to cover it. A quiet thing.

Kallus covers his staring by patting the droid’s metal arm.

“That’s quite a loyalty subroutine your KX has.”

“I am seventy percent certain I should find that response insulting,” the droid replied pausing and flicking its white eyes to him, “I’m K2-SO. I’m a reprogrammed Imperial Droid.”

“Kallus,” Kallus intones, “Formerly ISB-021, an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau, and formerly a Fulcrum Agent in service of the Rebellion.” He pats the droid’s arm again. “You could probably consider us kindred spirits.”

Cassian’s mouth widens.

“I will not,” the droid says, once again sounding smug, “My programming is far superior to a defective Imperial Agent’s, Cassian’s seen to it.”

“Kay.”

“Fine by me,” Kallus says, ruefully rubbing his neck, “Good Men like Captain Andor should be in good hands. Yours seem to serve more than well enough.”

Something passes into Cassian’s face that he can’t quite read.

Kallus quickly removes his hand from the droid’s arm.

“Everything seems in order.” He inclined his head in a formal bow, “Fulcrum.”

Cassian’s eyes flick over him before he nods back.

“Fulcrum.”

“Let me know if you need help with Imperial equipment. I’m here to do whatever good I can.”

Cassian considers this, dark eyes briefly flicking down to Kallus’s hands, then up again to his eyes. There’s fur in the lining of his coat even in the heat of Yavin, framing his face. He nods after a moment.

“I will.”

The droid turns to him.

“You will?” It repeats.

Cassian shushes Kaytoo, eyes still on Kallus. He says nothing.

Kallus smiles.

“Thank you,” he says, meaning it.

“You actually like him?” He can hear the droid say too loudly as he leaves.

Cassian’s response is murmured too low for his to hear but Kallus’ smile broadens into a grin.

“Do you want to know how I feel about strange men touching me?” the droid’s offended voice is gradually lost to the ruckus of the cargo bay.

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars Rebels Season Three Finale Death Watch

The countdown to “Zero Hour” approaches. Thrawn’s master plan against the growing rebellion will commence in just a few short hours (hard to believe, huh?) and the planet and skies above Atollon will be set ablaze. As the battle grows, it is likely that casualties will be felt on both sides.

So who is goingto fall to blasterfire come Saturday? It’s time to break out the old Death Watch and break down all our hopes and dreads before the bodies start dropping.

0% - Guaranteed Safe:

Wedge Antilles and Hobby:

This pilot duo from the Original Trilogy is one of the few individuals we know for sure will make it out of the conflict on Atollon without a scratch. After all, the two of them do need to help take down AT-AT’s on Hoth and Wedge has a certain second Death Star to destroy. Hera Syndulla and Chopper:

The only two members of the Ghost crew that we know for sure will survive the battle of Atollon are the team’s pilot Hera and their scrappy astromech droid Chopper. Both had blink and you’ll miss it cameos in Rogue One (granted Hera’s was more of a vocal call out than anything), but their presence at the Yavin IV base and later at the Battle of Scarif (I mean who else is driving The Ghost?) guarantees at least temporary survival.

Mon Mothma, Dodonna, Bail Organa, and Wulf Yularen:

While their involvement in the conflict at Atollon may not be confirmed or relatively minimal, these key Rebellion and Imperial figure are known to survive to the Original Trilogy at the very least. 

2%: All-But Guaranteed

Ezra Bridger:

I mean, let’s face it, Ezra’s gotta make it to season four. This is arguably his story after all. While there is always the tiniest possibility for a major series altering twist, “Zero Hour” does not seem like the time for Ezra’s story to end.

Sabine Wren:

Sabine falls into much of the same realm as Ezra here. With her involvement in the growing revolution on Mandalore just beginning, cutting her down outside of this conflict would feel like a cheat and also does not make logical storytelling sense. It’s a possibility for sure, but not a likely one and would represent a controversial decision on the side of the production team. Iron Squadron:

The much maligned-group of junior rebels aren’t even guaranteed an appearance here in “Zero Hour,” but I highly doubt that Rebels has reached the point of  killing off children. If Iron Squadron does make an appearance, they are almost certainly surviving.

5%: Incredibly Unlikely Kanan Jarrus:

While he may be more immediately vulnerable than much of the rest of The Ghost crew, like Sabine and Ezra, the resolution to Kanan’s narrative feels tied up elsewhere. Unlike last season where his personal story arc was sending him into direct conflict with the season’s demons, this year Kanan has felt more removed. Whether this is for narrative or thematic reasons or maybe due to Freddie Prinze Jr.’s acting schedule, the end result is that unless the most is made of “Zero Hour’s” runtime, Kanan’s death here would feel unearned.

Governor Pryce:

In the grand scheme of things, why would the regional governor even have a reason to be at the battle of Atollon? It’s always possible, but would feel like an odd choice. The series feels prepped to tell other stories with her character anyways. 10%: Highly Unlikely Grand Admiral Thrawn-

Thrawn is a risky one. In one aspect, Rebels’ seasonal villains do not have the best track record when it comes to surviving (just ask the Inquisitors), but on the other Thrawn’s introduction to the series has been one of its most lauded and hyped plot points in its now three season run. Removing Thrawn from the playing field at this point would be an easy way to incense a large subset of the fanbase and also would feel like a wasted opportunity, especially given how much time we’ve spent seeing him plan and strategize. There’s also some vague language in Chuck Wendig’s novel Empire’s End that may hint towards his survival late into the Empire. It’s always possible that we may lose ol-red-eyes tomorrow, but my betting odds say that we have much more Chiss in our future. AP-5-

I mean, I guess anything is possible? It would be an odd decision to kill off the sardonic inventory droid in “Zero Hour” especially now that we are just learning the depths of his musical talent. 45%:  Unlikely Captain Rex-

Rex has had a long hard life and has faced many battles, and while he may be one of the most expendable members of the main cast, there are likely many more Rex stories that could be told in the future,especially how he provides an easy and natural tie to most Clone Wars based storylines. Besides, I’m still pulling for the bearded guy in Return of the Jedi being our favorite ex-clone trooper. Toss-Up: 50% Garazeb Orrelios-

Unfortuantely, the former-last of the Lasat may be the most likely member of the Ghost Crew to fall in the crossfire. Outside of his connection to Kallus, Zeb’s story has felt the most stagnant out of the Ghost crew after he reconnected with his people in last seasons’ “Legends of Lasat.” If the production team wanted to inflict a heavy blow to both the cast and the viewer, Zeb is the logical choice. However, whether the Rebels team would really go for this sort of emotional gut punch at this point in the game is really anyone’s guess. Ursa/Tristan Wren and Fenn Rau- 

While Sabine might be more or less safe, the same can not necessarily be said for the rest of the Mandalorian supporting cast. We know that Sabine and much of Clan Wren arrive to assist the overwhelmed rebellion on Atollon, but the outcome of their reinforcement is still a mystery. One could easily see any of these three figures making the ultimate sacrifice (with Rau likely being the most probable) and their loss would act as a strong emotional catalyst for Sabine moving forward.

The Bendu

In all honesty, who knows what’s going on with The Bendu right now. After having a pretty strong presence at the season’s start, Tom Baker’s strange force sensitive coral orangutan has more or less stepped away from Rebels. I would be shocked if The Bendu sat out the battle on his homeworld, and the results of his participation in this conflict could really land either way. 55%: Probable

Ryder Azadi

If the Rebels creative team is looking to inflict a heavy blow on the growing alliance in “Zero Hour” removing several members of their leadership seems like a clear decision to make. Ryder Azadi is just enough of an established presence on the show for his death to mean something, but his fate is too tied into the destiny of Lothal to really make this anything close to a guarantee. 65%: Likely Commander Sato

Where Azadi’s past may make him safer, the other most prominent and vulnerable rebel leader, Commander Sato faces the opposite dilemma. His hinted at past ties with Thrawn and his own proximity to the space battle that unfolds in orbit above Atollon mean that he is likely to be facing some deadly threats. As a casualty of war, Sato makes sense and his passing seems a more than likely possibility. Admiral Konstantine

Similarly, if the Rebels crew wanted to take down a member of the Imperial military, Admiral Konstantine is the safest best. Thrawn has already made it clear that he has little regard for the bumbling Imperial leader, and out of all of the prominent and loyal members of the empire, his death feels the most assured.

75%- More than Likely

Agent Kallus

Unfortunately, David Oyelowo’s intriguing and morally conflicted Imperial turned rebel spy, Kallus, is the character we are most likely to see fall. Ever since Kallus switched sides to the rebellion his days felt numbered, and this only doubled when the truth of his treachery became known to Thrawn. While it is still possible that Kallus may somehow pull himself out of the trap he has built for himself, his death feels like a more likely storytelling path. Let’s hope not though. Kallus has grown into one of the most enjoyable and exciting members of the series’ cast and Oyelowo into one of their best performers.