#so I guess Ahsoka would just have to be like ‘I’m a friend of your father’s’ and again just.

[autumnhobbit]

this also lends comedic potential later whenever Luke meets Ahsoka

Does kind of crack me up that they made the plot of Kenobi ‘baby leia is captured and obi wan has to go rescue her,’ because you know what would have 1. not broken canon, 2. made sense & 3. sounds far more intriguing as a concept? Ahsoka rescuing baby Leia.

[starbeltconstellation]

So I gotta ask, do you have any headcannons(or cannons I guess since you're the author) about Melanie and Anakin that you can share without spoilers to much.

I'm going through Rewrite the stars withdrawal lol

Awww, thank you so very much for the ask, dear! (And so sorry again about your Rewrite the Stars withdrawal. 😭 Things have been crazyyy in my life. My bro was in the hospital for a while, but he’s okay now though. Also just me fighting my never ending depression spells 🙃). 😅😂

I would be happy to offer some “head” canons! Or canons, technically, as you said. 😂 Lol.

Essentially, this has become like one big, long SW meta analysis and meta analysis on my SW fic, Rewrite the Stars, and Anakin and Melanie’s characters. Sorry for the long response. 😭 I got really into explaining my thoughts. Haha.

I’ll put this under a read more, as it’s VERYYY long:

I’ll just say that the entire reason I started this story is because well, I wanted a fix it fic of course. 😂 But also just because I wanted to write this kind of grand, epic tale in general, just like Star Wars is supposed to be.

A lot of fics I’ve seen like this completely demonize the Jedi most of the time and blame them for their own genocide. And the ones that don’t, also flip it the complete opposite way around and demonize Anakin to where he’s nothing but a cackling demon who kicks puppies for fun (and well… would he do that AFTER the prequel trilogy when he’s in his emo Darth Vader era? Probably. 😂 But he wouldn’t be CACKLING while doing it. He’d be very bitter and callous about it, because Anakin likes to take out his anger on the world when he’s in pain, so by GOD the entire galaxy is gonna be in pain along with him).

But anyways, I’m kinda getting off track.

My point is: the whole reason I started my SW fic is because I wanted to write the type of epic, grand tale of a fic that I’ve been looking for that treats all of its characters with love and respect while ALSO still calling out their flaws and allowing them to grow. That includes everyone: Anakin, Padmé, Ahsoka, Barriss, Mace, Obi-Wan, Dooku, Satine, etc—EVERYONE.

I feel like fandom has become this toxic environment where if you’re criticizing a character, then… (le gasp 😱)… you don’t really LIKE themmm. (Untrue. 😂).

I love, love, LOVE Anakin. He is my hot, insane, child killing bastard of a mans.

… But I also hate him too. 😭😂

I HATE what he’s done and what he believes in after the war and how he just wallows like a child in his pain. I HATE how selfish he is (while at the same time heavily relate to his fear of death and losing those he loves to them dying/growing older). And I also HATE how damn close he was to making a better choice, but he DIDN’T, because in the end, it didn’t MATTER if Anakin technically knew the ‘right’ way to act. He purposely went against it, because he was just too selfish to let go of Padmé (he kinda did a self fulfilling prophecy with her death, but we’re not gonna talk about that part right now), and so he decided his happiness meant more than the entire galaxy, and burned down his childhood home like a school shooter and helped genocide his friends just for the CHANCE to save his wife.

And all of this, in the usual fics I’ve seen, can somehow be undone, just by changing a few little moments in Anakin’s life where he doesn’t get his feelings hurt: ie; Obi-Wan faking his death, Ahsoka leaving the Order/being framed by Barriss, or Mace/Qui-Gon/whoever-the-fuck-you-want-to-say being assigned as his Master instead of Obi-Wan.

And just… no. 😂

As shown through this wonderful SW blog here:

Anakin doesn’t do what he did because, oh, “This, this, and THIS happened to him”, and if you take that away and help him avoid it, he’ll suddenly change and be all warm and fuzzy inside and won’t burn the whole fucking galaxy just because HE cannot handle Padmé (MAYBE) dying and leaving him alone (when he wouldn’t even really BE alone, but Anakin also clearly puts Padmé/romantic love above all else. He might care for his friends and family, but he’d throw them all under the bus if it came down to the wire between them and Padmé). This is something I will go into in the fic as Anakin slowly starts to take a look at himself as he realizes: “wait… wtf? Do I even KNOW what Rex does outside of work? 🤔😨” for him to realize that he’s so obsessive over one person… that everyone else is slowly becoming put to the wayside.

Stopping one or two little things in Anakin’s life during the Clone Wars isn’t going to magically make him see the light and not be a currently ticking time bomb.

That is not how change WORKS. Not REAL change anyway. All of the fics I’ve seen written, usually hand wave a lot of Anakin’s misdeeds and flaws away, and pretend like if you hold Anakin’s hand through certain parts of the war and help him avoid THESE certain moments, that he’ll suddenly just magically become a better person who understands what being selfless and less greedy actually means.

That… is not true change. TRUE change is Anakin HIMSELF realizing slowly but surely as the war goes on that he’s slowly becoming someone he doesn’t recognize in the mirror anymore (*cough* Mel line drop from upcoming chapter? 👀✨ *cough*). TRUE change is Anakin HIMSELF working through his flaws and inner demons, before he gradually begins to realize with a sense of sickening horror that he has been WRONG: ie; massacring an entire Tusken village down to the last child while never telling another soul except Padmé about it and whistling happily to himself without a care in the world as the war rages on.

TRUE change (as you might’ve started to guess from the most recent chapter of my fic) is Anakin HIMSELF slowly but surely starting to question his actions, by comparing them to other people he respects and cares for.

Which brings us to your question on “headcanons”.

The entire purpose of the relationship between Melanie and Anakin (besides me living vicariously through her 😂) is that they are a MIRROR for each other.

Melanie and Anakin, while very different, aren’t COMPLETE and total opposites. There are purposeful parallels between them: their moms, their care of droids, their fear of losing those they love to death, and the PURPOSEFUL CHOICE GIVEN TO MELANIE BY THE SHOPKEEPER 👀 that parallels the choice Anakin is given at the end of ROTS by Palpatine himself in their choice to help the galaxy or be selfish and choose themselves/their own wants instead.

There is a quote I have based their relationship off of. I will share it here (if you are still with me, because I know I ramble a lot 😅😂):

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake.

—Elizabeth Gilbert

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Melanie and Anakin are meant to have parallel journeys, even though their personalities are very different. But it’s more than that: their fatal flaws are in direct conflict with each other.

Anakin’s fatal flaw is: greed/selfishness.

Melanie’s fatal flaw is: fear/judgement.

BUT as they are forced into working together… the more they interact with each other… the more their fatal flaws are FORCED to be challenged by the other.

Anakin’s more selfish nature is challenged more and more by just being in Melanie’s presence and watching how she acts with complete compassion and selflessness in certain situations, which makes him slowly start to look at himself internally and take a look at his own actions and thoughts, gradually beginning to realize how selfish he’s slowly become without even realizing it.

Melanie, in turn, has the purposeful flaw of judgment, which can make her self righteous at times (even if she IS correct most of the time 😂), and also the flaw of fear, which as readers have seen, makes her a bit more cautious than she should be in her actions on trying to outsmart Palpatine to save the galaxy.

It’s kind of ironic: just being AROUND Anakin slowly begins to challenge Melanie’s fatal flaws (since she was completely fucking terrified of him the very first moment she realized she was in the SW universe and realized Anakin/Darth Vader was real now 😂). She sees things in such a black and white way at first, but as time goes on, Anakin’s need to be gentle with her and prove himself to Mel, makes her question her judgment with him, which allows her the ability to give him a chance. In turn, just being in his PRESENCE challenges her other fatal flaw on fear, since he’s a walking nightmare PTSD trigger for her pounding heart (and not always in the fun way 👀💓❤️‍🔥☠️😂).

Anyway, my point is that they aren’t just meant to be together romantically to be TOGETHER. It’s because I have purposefully tried to develop a romantic slow burn relationship that comes with my story to weave itself against the original theme of Rewrite the Stars, which is this: TRUE change and atonement/redemption.

Anakin physically CANNOT get closer to Mel, until he forced himself to take a step back and give her some space. If he wants to get anywhere with her, he HAS to start looking internally at himself to try and change and be more gentle with her.

Melanie, in turn, CANNOT outsmart Palpatine and win the war without Anakin’s help and working together with him over the next three years of The Clone Wars. She HAS to get past her judgment and allow herself to swallow her terror enough to give him a chance, because she NEEDS him to win.

This is a chess match between her and Palpatine, remember? And if you lose the king, you lose the game.

ANAKIN is the king. 👀

I bet you can’t guess what chess piece Melanie is. 😂 Lol.

Anyway, I feel like I’ve done a whole lot of taking in circles (sorry about that 😅), because I wanted to go ahead and explain my whole process for this fic while I had the time, so I can also refer this post if I ever need to again.

Now! Getting into some more FUN Stuff:

Idk if you’ve looked up my fic on Wattpad, but I have a lot of cool graphics posted there from my mind and from other artists/authors that have gifted me such wonderful cover art ( @shoniwake ! 👀✨❤️), and in a certain subsection, I have a whole playlist page dedicated as a type of ‘outline’ for the entire story of my fic (fair warning, it’s a lot 😅), just because I think it helps me with planning stuff out.

I won’t tell you all of them, of course. But I’ll share a few of my favorite songs that I always think are the PERFECT songs for Melanie and Anakin’s relationship and their slow burn romantic development. 😭🥺💔❤️💕✨

Innocence by Nathan Wagner

Stronger Together by Lou & SQVARE

Now I See by Lou & SQVARE

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I love these three songs so much, because of their theme of two people coming together as a team and/or learning to open up their hearts to the other and to help the other person the see world in a different way. 🥹❤️💕

This is basically what I want for Melanie and Anakin. Their relationship isn’t just about having a romance in the story (although that’s part of it. Haha 😂💕). It’s about how their relationship meshes in with the rest of the themes of the story: TRUE change and growth into something better.

Melakin is purposely written to be in direct contrast to Anidala (which is still written with care and not erasing their genuine affection, by the way! I think it’s extremely lazy writing to write a canon relationship OOC just to prop up your OC’s own), which shows the difference between a more healthy developing relationship that is based on genuine care and respect (Melakin) and in contrast with one that is more based around idealizing the other person/ignoring their faults and putting them up on a pedestal that is sure to lead to disappointment (Anidala).

This is, as you know from reading the fic, slowly starting to be shown in how Anidala acts with each other in their trash fire (in my opinion! Don’t kill meeee! 🙌😂) of a marriage, which has them basically talking past each other/not really caring about anything that isn’t SPECIFICALLY RELEVANT to the other person (ie; them. Not anything with their family or job. Just THEM. Because while the love is genuine, it’s also eerily obsessive, which was GL’s whole point of them being star crossed lovers that burn out from their own flawed choices in regards to being together and trying to have it all).

This is also shown in my fic with Melakin vs Anidala contrasting each other in Anakin’s choices and how he interacts with them. Anakin REMEMBERS stuff about Mel’s life and choices that really he has no need to care about, but he does anyway. In contrast, there is a scene in the latest chapter of my SW fic where Anakin forgets a very… important member… of Padmé’s family 😭 (If you know, you know 👀🫣😬). 😂

I guess what I’m saying is is that I’m trying to not PREACH to the readers of my fic. I’m trying to write scenes that SHOW them what I believe to be true in regards to Anidala’s toxic relationship/the Jedi being scapegoats that everyone cruelly blames for their own genocide/how the Jedi culture might not be how THE READERS want to live, but it doesn’t change the fact that it IS a valid culture/way to live, and it doesn’t deserve to be eradicated just because you don’t understand/like/agree with it.

I’m trying to lead up into the themes and lessons of my fic as I go along, is what I’m saying. 😂 Which is a really heavy feat, considering how long it’ll end up being as a grand, epic tale. 😩

And a big part of the theme of my SW Fic: genuine change and growth into something better than you were before (ie; TRUE redemption) cannot happen to Anakin as easily as some of the time travel fix-it fics/other fix-it fics I’ve seen written on A03 before. Changing a few little things so Anakin doesn’t have to deal with a few moments in his life is not GENUINE and TRUE change. What that is is essentially placation. It’s PLACATING and CODDLING someone dangerous, which allows them (for the MOMENT) to calm down, because they are generally happy and have the things they want and aren’t under stress like Anakin was in the ending of ROTS when there was nobody there to hold his hand for him to ‘guide’ him in the right direction.

For TRUE change and redemption to happen for Anakin, he has to admit to himself that he was WRONG.

He has to ADMIT and ACKNOWLEDGE that actions he has taken are horrific (the Tusken Massacre), and accept people’s/the Jedi’s judgment on it without becoming defensive and acting like he’s being unfairly attacked and punished for something not that big of a deal. He has to ADMIT and ACKNOWLEDGE that his thought process has slowly but surely become corrupted over the years without him even realizing it, whether that’s from the war or Palpatine stroking his ego or from the trauma of his childhood making him cling to things too hard—it doesn’t really matter. He has to RECOGNIZE that he has become someone over the years that he can’t even recognize in the mirror in relation to that little nine year old boy on Tatooine (about how selfish he has become), and what he can do to change that.

I know some fans will think I am attacking Anakin and that I hate him or something (and well… I DO hate him… but I also love him 🫣☠️❤️😂), but that is not the case. I LOVE Anakin’s character and truly relate to him on such a deep level in terms of how terrified he is of losing the people he loves to death. I can recognize myself and some of my worst fears deeply in him.

However, at the same time, I can also acknowledge that Anakin’s trauma from his childhood (from slavery/his mother dying in front of him), has essentially made his entire personality completely self serving. Because yes, Anakin can care about other people. He cares about and loves his friends. He’d do anything he could to keep them from harm (at least in TCW era 🥶☠️), but the hard truth is… he doesn’t think of his relationships and saving them from death in terms of what his LOVED ONES deserve or what THEY will lose if they die. He thinks about it in terms of what HE will lose if they die.

He straight up says it in the scene with Mace and then the scene with Palpatine: He NEEDS to keep Palpatine (who he KNOWS is an evil Sith Lord) alive, because it’s the only way he can keep Padmé alive. HE can’t live without HER.

There’s genuine love there. I am not denying that. Anakin isn’t a cackling villain like Palpatine (it’s the whole reason Anakin CAN be talked into coming back to the Light Side by Luke, whereas Palpatine would melt Luke’s fucking face off without hesitation if he tried). He cares and loves his family and friends and wife and kids… in a TOXIC way. In an OBSESSIVE way. In a way that is essentially all about HIM: ie; selfish.

Example 1:

Out of context, this sounds very romantic and simply just a reasonable amount of worry. But in relation to all the other things Anakin will end up saying while referring to Padmé as essentially a possession, I’m placing it here anyway as perhaps a sign of his darkening thoughts.

Example 2:

Yes, yes, I knowwww… some of you ladies will be like: 🥺💔 at the sad murder puppy moment. And I suppose it’s still very evil wet cat bastard level/blorbo of him in a intoxicating way for people who want to feel loved—at the same time, he’s essentially saying: look, man, I don’t care if I gotta murder some kids and betray my friends and descend the galaxy and Republic into darkness (which I know my wife will be fucking horrified at). It’s very important that I DO NOT have to deal with this pain, okay?? 😭 Everyone else can be in pain, but not meeee. I’ll crush and stab my friends in the back just so I won’t be left alone from my wife dying.

Very sad. Very wet cat villain blorbo of him.

And yet—VERY selfish and evil. 😭🤷‍♀️👀😂

He’s essentially saying—fuck the galaxy. Let me get mine, and I’ll go home. ☠️

Example 3:

This one’s pretty obvious. By this point, he’s lost his shit. His mind’s already cracking at the seams as he tries to keep justifying the actions he’s taken, which will eventually lead into his 20 year long dissociation where he essentially goes, “Nahhh, that wasn’t meee. That was DARTH VADER. Anakin didn’t do that, because ANAKIN is still a good person (he mutters to himself over and over like a maniac at night in his emo villain lair), whereas I AM THE DARK INCARNATE. 😌🖤” so he doesn’t have to admit to himself that HE—yes, THAT he, Anakin fucking Skywalker—has become an actual terrible fucking person with no heart. 🤷‍♀️😭😬

I don’t see why this is so hard for SW fandom to get. It’s a METAPHOR George Lucas uses to say Darth Vader killed Anakin (and also just a way to plug up the plot hole of what Obi-Wan originally told Luke in the first movie). It doesn’t mean that Anakin’s consciousness is sleeping inside Vader’s head like a fucking cat. Lmao. 😭

Not only would that not make SENSE in terms of how GL wrote it, but it also just essentially makes Anakin’s ‘redemption’ (I don’t really view it as a true redemption. More like just the Christian version of salvation for his soul by the skin of his teeth. Although GL did say Anakin was redeemed in the eyes of LUKE only, because he said some crap about being redeemed in the eyes of our children) all but useless. 😭 You can’t say on one hand that Darth Vader’s ‘redemption’ is the most iconic one of all time, while at the same time saying on the other hand that “Anakin never did any of those things. It was DaRtH VaDeR! 🤪🤪🤪” because then you’re essentially absolving Anakin of all of his crimes while on the Dark Side, and if Anakin is absolved of all of his crimes… then wtf is there TO make him the most iconic ‘redemption’ of all time??? 😭🤷‍♀️ I mean, like—what IS there to ‘redeem’ at that point??? Ya can’t have both, kids. Lol. 😂

This is also essentially what Anakin wanted in terms of his relationship with Padmé and the Jedi Order. He wanted it ALL. He wanted BOTH. Sureee, he TALKED about quitting the Jedi Order eventually after the war to be with Padmé in a little space cottage. But could he WALK THE WALK? Could he really give up the thrill of chasing an enemy, or the twitch of his fingers in reaching for his lightsaber? 😑🤔 Me myself has some doubtssss.

He wanted it ALL. He wanted to be married while ALSO having the strength and power that came from being a Jedi Knight. He didn’t WANT to choose. He even SAYS it.

Example 4: Essentially this SW meme

He doesn’t want to CHOOSE. And it’s why it’s BS when it’s argued he was put in this position by the Council’s rules on marriage, because it’s LITERALLY just like a vow of a priest at a Catholic Church. They can’t marry either, just like the Jedi Order. BUT (unlike what fandom likes to believe), the Order isn’t some cult, and you are free to leave at any time (and hell, they’ll even build a statue after you leave, apparently, if the one they built of Dooku that’s in the Archives (I think) is anything to go by), just as a priest is free to leave the Catholic Church at any time. Because it’s a COMMITMENT to that place. And people might think it’s dumb/stupid/not like it—or even understand it! And you don’t HAVE to like something from a religion/culture/belief, or understand something, to still respect it (another theme drop for the next chapter of my SW fic? 👀😂).

So, what some people will probably wonder is—“But, Starbelt! (Le gasp 😱) Then how is the Jedi culture going to be respected in my fic, if Melakin is still endgame at the end of their slow, slow burn?”

And to that question, I say, “I am not a by-the-book-to-the-very-LETTER interpreter of the Jedi Code (although I’m not saying the code of an entire culture is gonna be ‘changed’ for legit one person/couple. Lmao. 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️😂), but I AM a Jedi lover who is of the belief that—even if you don’t completely AGREE or even UNDERSTAND the Jedi Order and their code—it shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t be difficult to respect it. It shouldn’t be difficult to not scold a culture on their beliefs, while essentially saying that belief is the reason it is ‘good’ for The Force/galaxy that they were genocided as a ‘clean slate’. 😬🤦‍♀️☠️”

What I WILL say, is that I am going to explore the Jedi Order and the different interpretations of the Code and The Force in general in this fic, and what that means in terms of coexistence, instead of the frankly childish notion of just painting an entire culture as emotionless and wrong in their beliefs, like they are some kind of stuck up, snooty and rich culture that ‘deserved what they got’. 🙄🤦‍♀️😬☠️

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ANYWAY, back to my point with Anakin, and how my fic is trying to complete the most massive and epic of all writing tasks: making Anakin slowly change and grow out of his greed and selfishness into a better person in such an organic way, that perhaps may one day be compared with the likes of Zuko’s redemption from ATLA (I know, I knowww. Pretty high hopes for myself. Lol. 😂).

So, essentially, in the original “timeline” of ROTS, Anakin is freaking losing it, and since nobody is there to hold his hand, he descends right into the core selfishness that is buried inside of him, where he basically just decides, “Fuck it,” and throws all of his morals out the window so he can keep himself from the pain of losing Padmé (ie; it’s really about HIM and his fear, and not about Padmé deserving to live and see more beauty in the world) by cutting off Mace’s hand to stop him from killing Palpatine, because—in Anakin’s OWN words:

Example 5:

Like… 🤷‍♀️😭.

People like to sing “Lalalala,” and plug their ears by pretending Anakin is just so shocked in this scene (le gasp 😱) that Mace is being so UN-JEDI-LIKE, and that it just convinced him that the Jedi Order truly has been ‘corrupted’. 🤦‍♀️🙄

Now see… that might hold some water if Anakin literally didn’t scream “I NeEd HiM! 😡” at Mace like an unhinged five year old, which literally PROVES that the only reason Anakin wants Mace to keep Palpatine alive and not to kill the guy yet is because he needs to learn the super-secret-Dark-Side-magicy way of how to save himself from the pain of losing Padmé to dying in childbirth.

… Because like some may recall, Anakin LITERALLY beheaded Dooku himself all but like… what? 12 hours ago? 😭🤦‍♀️

Essentially, this meme:

So, essentially, what I’m getting at here is: Anakin is a goddamn hypocrite. 😂

Now, in relation to my SW fic? What I essentially am TRYING to accomplish, is to have Anakin slowly CHANGE HIMSELF as the war goes on and he interacts more with Melanie and witnesses her compassion, while in turn comparing her actions to his own.

Melanie isn’t supposed to ‘fix’ or ‘change’ Anakin. Anakin is supposed to be INSPIRED to change from how he grows to care and admire Mel’s choices and who she is inside her heart as the Clone Wars rages on.

I do all of this, so in the HOPES that when he is presented with this scene again, it makes perfect sense to all readers of my fic that his choice may become different—essentially choosing for ONCE, a more selfless route, out of no expectation that he will gain anything in return (that only happens with Luke like—20 years later—and it’s not like he had many other options at that point. 😭🤷‍♀️ Lol.).

(And as I said—MAY become different… 👀 After all, Melanie still has a long way to go before the end of the war… 👀)

But yeah—that’s my plans with my SW Anakin x OC Fic, Rewrite the Stars, and how I’m planning it and Melakin’s relationship to go. I placed a big feat on myself. 😂❤️💕

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If you wanna see some of my like… ideas/notes on what I have planned to eventually place in there somewhere, I will show you a few things, because it’s not really SPOILERS, since I already talk about the Jedi genocide a lot anyway (it drives me up the wall when SW fandom refers to it as ThE FaLl Of ThE jEdi 🤪🤪🤪). Guess it makes it easier to blame them all for their own deaths that way if you refer to their genocide and slaughter as a “fall”. 😭🙄 Idk. 🤷‍♀️

I also have some stuff with the history of Churches splitting into different factions (ie: The Great Schism of 1054), which I will be weaving in as a parallel at some point. 👀👀 I will not explain why, as that would be too spoilery, but I’m sure some of my more in depth analysis readers on my work could guess if they thought about it hard enough… 👀

There are also some comparisons on the Jedi genocide in the SW universe, and how it parallels the Air Nomad genocide in the ATLA universe pretty much to a T in terms of how fast it all happens in one day, and also how any survivors were hunted down and lured out with relics of their own culture, not to MENTION just the fact that both of these cultures are just non-western inspired in general (seriously, what is with people and killing monks in Temples? Lol. 🤷‍♀️😂). It’s also just an interesting comparison in general, because where the ATLA fandom usually is quite sympathetic to the Air Nomad genocide, on the other hand, the SW fandom is so nauseatingly nonchalant and cruel about the Jedi Order’s genocide that it’s almost downright weird. It’s almost like the SW fandom has this THING about never calling the Jedi’s “Fall 🙄” what it actually was—a horrific genocide. I swear to Godddd, SW fandom must be allergic to the word. 😂🤦‍♀️

I also threw in the ‘Hero’s journey’ thing I’ve been using for Melanie to try and make her a relatable protagonist, while also still having her own character arc along with Anakin’s. It was really important to me that she had her OWN arc away from Anakin, and that she had more connections and relationships in the SW universe than just him. Not only does it weaken her character if she had been made to be all about HIM, but it also just makes a certain… choice… 👀… with The Shopkeeper (her antagonist who parallels Palpatine, Anakin’s antagonist) hit all the more harder, because saving the ENTIRE GALAXY isn’t even about saving ANAKIN at all for her. Not at first, anyway.

Instead, from the very beginning, it’s all about how Melanie grows to care and feel compassion for the people she meets in the SW universe and becomes friends with, and how she cannot turn away from them and leave them behind to die, when she has knowledge that can help change their fates. It was SO important to me that Anakin is not even on Mel’s RADAR at first. She doesn’t hate him or anything. She doesn’t want him dead, but it’s not really about SAVING him either (if that happens along the way, it’s a happy bonus for her). Because—as you know—she’s TERRIFIED of him in the beginning, and just plans to avoid him like the plague.

And in doing so, she grows closer to others in the SW universe: Ahsoka, Rex, Yoda, Fives, Obi-Wan, all of the other clones, etc. ALL of that is so important for a certain choice she makes with The Shopkeeper (which I won’t spoil for any new readers who may stumble across this post and want to read my work 👀😂).

So, essentially, my fic is a grand, epic tale, that our main protagonist, Melanie Bains, is going on to save millions of lives in a galaxy far, far away from death and suffering.

No pressure, huh? 😂😬

That’s definitely going to crack and fracture at Mel’s psyche as time goes on… 🥶 The weight of such a feat on one’s shoulders essentially all alone becomes overwhelming. 😓💔 (*Cough* Hint for next chapter? 👀 *cough*).

So I’m really trying to follow that ‘Hero’s journey’ format. I already have her character arc outlined with a clear beginning and end. I just have to find the will to write the thousands and thousands of words to get there to that point. 😩😭😂

It still makes me so happy how many people relate and enjoy Mel. 😌🥹❤️💓🥰

Some planned themes I am going to weave in as the story goes along:

Example 1: Genocide

Air Nomad genocide propaganda from ATLA:

Jedi Order genocide propaganda (Not sure if it’s from before or after Order 66. Either way, it’s meant to rile the populace up against them and demonize the Jedi as ‘other’, like emotionless wizards that are barely human and aren’t capable of true compassion since they’re a ‘cult’ and not from ‘true’ familial structures, unlike the ‘good ol’ regular populace with their attachments 🤪’) from SW:

Example 2: Church factions splitting up/The Great Schism of 1054

Example 3: Hero’s Journey (Mel’s character arc)

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… Now, moving past that long meta ramble, here’s some more songs from my playlist on Wattpad for Melakin’s developing romantic relationship and it’s slow, slow burnnnn. 👀💓❤️‍🔥😂

Borderline by Florrie

Let Me In by Michael Corcoran

The Chain by Ingrid Michaelson

Minefields by Faouzia & John Legend

Unlike the previous songs in the earlier part of this meta post, THESE songs are more about Melakin struggling to open up to each other. I’ll admit, a lot of it is more focused on Anakin trying to get Melanie to open up to him, because he doesn’t understand why she’s acting so terrified of him at first.

The one song that’s more about both of them trying to find common ground is “Borderline”, which is meant to be them both reaching out and trying to meet each other halfway. 😊🥰🥺❤️💕

And if you’re wondering what my favorite song is out of all of them?

It’s the “Innocence by Nathan Wagner” song. WITHOUT a doubt. It’s the PERFECT Melakin song that is basically what the whole arc of their relationship is supposed to be. 😭🥹❤️💔💕

Whew, that was a long post! So sorry about that. 😅😂🤷‍♀️ I just got really into talking about my fic and my writing process. I think this has even helped me with motivation! Losing hyperfixations is a bitchhhh. 😖😖

The only other thing I will add is this to hopefully ease your and everyone else’s minds: I may have to go on hiatuses every now and then because of writer’s block or a family/life problem like the recent one with my brother being in the hospital for a while. BUT! No matter WHAT, I will NEVER abandon this fic. It is literally gonna be my damn life’s work—I swearrrrr. 😖✊😂

To end this long SW meta off, I’m going to link another two great Pro Jedi SW meta posts from the wonderful Pro Jedi blog I mentioned earlier. Feel free to check it out if you want, because it’s a lot of Mel’s thoughts on the Jedi, and part of the problems she has to find a way to solve as the war goes on by trying to keep the Jedi in favor of the public’s eyes:

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To any new readers that stumble across this and are curious enough to check out my fic:

Tags:

@ensomniaa

@heartfairy

@fangirlteallie

@xreadersunite

@shoniwake

[jessicas-pi]

I Am A Little Addicted To The Incorrect Quote Maker.

Anyway. Twin Blades And Beskar (Lifeswap) AU?

Inquisitor: Well, aren’t you all a rag-tag group of adventurers with unclear goals and good hearts! Oh, let me guess: you’re out to save the galaxy! Kanan: Well, actually, that sounds like a pretty fair assessment. Sabine: More or less, I guess... Ahsoka: That sounds awesome! Let’s do that! Ezra: I’m new here, but I am open to the concept. Hera: I thought that’s what we were doing, guys, come on!

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Sabine: My aesthetic is "would be suspected of witchcraft by small town citizens."

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Ahsoka: Throw lamps at people who need to lighten up, and throw handles at someone who needs to get a grip. Kanan: Throw a refrigerator at someone who needs to chill. Sabine: Throw scissors at someone who needs to cut it out! Hera: Throw a clock at someone who needs to get with the times! Okadiah: Throw matches at someone who needs to get fired up! Ezra: Throw a brick at someone to kill them!

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Ahsoka, making coffee: This is going to fix everything.

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Sabine: Rules were made to be broken. Kanan: They were made to be followed. Nothing is made to be broken. Ahsoka: Uh, piñatas. Chopper: Glow sticks. Ezra: Karate boards. Hera: Spaghetti when you have a small pot. Sabine: Rules. Kanan:

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Ezra: I hope no one lowkey hates me. Ezra: Highkey hate me. Hate me with every fiber of your being. Ezra: Go big or go home.

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Chopper: Drink your school, stay in sleep, don't do milk, and get 8 hours of drugs.

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Hera: Just be yourself. Sabine: Really? Hera, I have one day to win over Ezra’s clan! Sabine: How long did it take for you guys to like me? Okadiah: Couple of weeks. Kanan: Six months. Chopper: Jury’s still out. Sabine: See Hera? ‘Just be yourself,’ what kind of garbage advice is that?!

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Okadiah: Imagine if someone handed you a box full of all the things you lost throughout your life. Ahsoka: It would be nice to have my sense of purpose back… Hera: Oh wow, my childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this. Ezra: My will to live! I haven't seen this in years. Kanan: I knew I lost that potential somewhere. Sabine: Mental stability, my old friend! Okadiah: Force, could you lighten up a little?

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Ezra: Of course I have a lot of pent-up rage, you fool! I've been the same height since I was twelve!

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Okadiah: If you got arrested what would be the charges? Ahsoka: Theft. Hera: Disturbing the peace. Kanan: Aggravated assault. Sabine: Arson. Ezra: All of the above. In that order, probably.

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Ezra: So, what’s Sabine's type? Kanan: Awkward, overprotective, oblivious, terrible sense of humor, Mandalorian. Ezra: Sounds kind of like me. Too bad she loathes me. Kanan: Did I mention oblivious? Ezra: Yeah, why? Kanan: Just making sure.

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Sabine: If I die, you can have what little I own. Ezra: Wait. What do you mean "if" you die? Sabine: My unending existence is fueled by pure spite, that of which the painful experiences of life have rendered me full. Ezra: Ezra: *Sighs* You need a therapist.

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Chopper: All of your existences are confusing. The Spectres: How so? Chopper: Your presence is annoying, but the thought of anything bad happening to any of you upsets me.

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Kanan: If you put 'violently' in front of anything to describe your action, it becomes funnier. Kanan: Violently pilots. Hera: Violently lightsaber trains. Ahsoka: Violently sleeps. Ezra: Violently murders people. Okadiah: Violently worries about the previous statement.

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Sabine: Sometimes I wonder if I’m hearing voices. Sabine: Then I remember that’s the last bit of sanity I have trying to get me to fall asleep at a reasonable time.

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*The squad's reaction to being told they're the chosen one* Hera: I will not let you down. Ahsoka: Sounds fun. Kanan: K. Sabine: Like kriff I am. Okadiah: Do I have to be? Ezra: Please manda I am so tired

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*after a perilous life-or-death escape/rescue* Sabine: Oh, gods, I could just kiss you right now. Ezra: ... Ezra: Neat. *later* Ezra, lying face down on his bunk: I said "Neat," Kanan. Who says neat? It's not neat to say neat but I said it anyways because I'm kriffing stupid. Kanan, reading a book: Don't beat yourself up too much, kid. Everyone gets nervous sometimes. Did Oke ever tell you what I did when Hera confessed her love for me? Ezra: Didn't you thank her? Kanan: *closes the book and looks at the ceiling* I thanked her.

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Kanan: I have met some of the most insufferable people. But they also met me.

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Ezra: Capitalizing every word in a sentence is vomit inducing. Sabine: Enjoy Your Trip To Puke Land, Boy!

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Hera: I think my guardian angel drinks.

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Ezra: The only thing I'm guilty of is being adorable... ...and also assault with a deadly weapon.

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Sabine, at the slightest provocation: I came into this galaxy screaming and covered in someone else's blood and I'm not afraid to leave the same way.

[thecleverqueer]

Random Thoughts on Star Wars Ships (Part One)

First, I’m going to focus on toxic Star Wars ships that I absolutely despise. There are three. They are all canon. Some of them are more serious than others, but all of them are incredibly pernicious and problematic. To say they’re my “least favorite” would be selling my hatred of them short, but yeah… the word “loathe” comes to mind. They are as follows:

1.) Luxsoka (aka Ahsoka Tano and Lux Bonteri)

This is my least favorite ship of them all because watching it unfold at times was physically painful. Part of me doesn’t understand it, but the other part of me knows that it was likely just a tepid attempt by Filoni egged on by Lucas to make Ahsoka more relatable. It didn’t work.

I guess the premise didn’t start out too bad with “Heroes on Both Sides” aside from the fact that it sort of felt forced and completely unnecessary, but holy fuck did it go off the rails fast!

Lux’s behavior in “A Friend in Need” was completely unacceptable and inexcusable. I mean, less than 10 minutes into that episode, Lux is threatening to shoot Ahsoka with a deadly firearm, followed by him stunning her unconscious, stealing her ship, hiding her lightsabers from her, then meeting up with known terrorists with anti-Jedi sentiment and history of violence against Jedi. Then, there’s the unwanted kiss. He just sort of grabs her and kisses her against her will to shut her up. She tries to wiggle herself out of it, and when she finally succeeds you can tell she’s PISSED. Rightfully so. Technically, that’s sexual assault. The episode ends with Ahsoka somehow being more fond of him, I guess… I assume it’s related to trauma. I don’t know.

Anyway, the last time we see them together is in the Onderon arc, Lux has fallen for and appears to be in a romantic relationship with Steela Gerrera, and Ahsoka finds a way get over him, which, good for her. It takes two episodes (of a four episode arc) of her being completely insufferable, but she gets there. Ahsoka deserved better anyway. By the end of the arc, she sort of does this attaboy shoulder slug to Lux after Steela kisses him for luck. By that point, Ahsoka probably also found Steela to be pretty hot, and at least one of them got to kiss her. Steela should have kissed you, Ahsoka, but we can’t win them all.

Filoni basically said he was experimenting with this anyway, and I would say that this particular experiment was an abject failure. I’m just glad that it fizzed out before it ever became anything. It was trash. Utter fucking trash.

2.) Anidala (aka Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala)

This is another toxic relationship that I don’t really understand. No. I mean, I do get it. It’s a plot point that gets us to a specific place in a character’s development.

It’s unfortunate really. Padme is supposed to be this badass strong, independent woman, and yet, she blatantly ignores countless red flags during “Attack of the Clones” that should have made her turn away… Anakin being generally creepy, crossing her boundaries, frequently interrupting her, admitting to being a dictatorial fascist… I guess I could technically write all of that off because sometimes your brain short-circuits when you’re in love, and you miss red flags. But… genocide? That was a bridge too far. She should have ran. She should have reported the incident to the Jedi council, but she didn’t because she’s “in love” and actually just a prop.

Their relationship didn’t get much better during the Clone Wars. Anakin guilted her often when she chose duty over desire, something her role in the galaxy required. It was also pretty apparent that Anakin didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her based on the way he acted during the Rush Clovis arcs. There was a point where it felt like their relationship should have ended during season six. Padme needed a break, and told Anakin that she just couldn’t do it anymore after Anakin brutally beat the dog shit out of Clovis. But then, more trauma. Maybe the moral of the story is to avoid “romantic” relationships when you’re in the midst of a traumatic experience because it’s going to end badly, I don’t know.

Then he kills her in “Revenge of the Sith”. Well. He force chokes her and she dies of a broken heart… and then he proceeds to lose his shit, force crushing an entire room with overwhelming emotion (say what you will about the Jedi and their obsession with not forming attachments and overcoming feelings but… *gestures vaguely at this incident right here*).

It’s just an incredibly disastrous toxic sludge of a relationship. And, I know I was more vague about this one, but honestly, I could write a novel about it… so, I’ll spare you.

3.) Reylo (aka Rey Palpatine/Skywalker and Kylo Ren)

I hate this one too… mainly because Kylo tells Rey that she’s “nothing” except to him in “The Last Jedi” and that bothers me. This is something a narcissist might say to someone they’re abusing and gaslighting in an attempt to make them stick around, and that is just gross.

If Rey had actually been a nobody, it may have been less offensive, but she’s a fucking Palpatine. She’s not a nobody. Her grandfather (who isn’t actually her “grandfather” as her father was just a Palpatine clone, and goddamn, I’m going to need a better explanation for all of that shit because it just makes me dizzy, but I digress) was an oppressive emperor that reigned in terror for decades. She’s far from a nobody. In fact, Kylo’s grandfather (actual grandfather, not a clone) was Palpatine’s bitch. He should at least show her a little respect.

He was also generically mean to her during the entire sequel trilogy.

This one ended in death too, but at least it was Kylo’s and not Rey’s death. Again, Rey exhibited this weird mental exercise where she sees Kylo Ren and Ben Solo as two different people instead of them being one-in-the-same (much like the mental gymnastics that everyone does with Vader), so she tries to validate the whole thing. But, he’s an asshole too. She should have faced it.

[wolfwrenbrainrot]

All the thoughts I ever had about SW ship wars from 2015 to 2023?? And why I ship Wolfwren I guess Idk

⚠️ DISCLAIMER ⚠️

I’ll be discussing the ship wars that are happening right now in the ahsoka fandom and compare it to how my perception about the fandom war that happened during the sequel era changed with the years). Oh, and I’m going to get into some tangencies that may not make much sense most of the time, so reading this to the end is on your own account. I ended up being a bit cynical too, but not in a mean way, I hope?

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I usually give up everytime I start writing an opinion on tumblr, because most of the time I just think my opinion won’t change anything, but the ahsoka fandom got “revived” (not that it was dead, but, well, we haven’t had any new episodes and to an extent the most of us move on to others shows a little until we get new content, like it happened these last few days) and I’ve been thinking about this show all on my own for a while (my friends aren’t really into Star Wars stuff, so they can listen, but they’ll never GET IT like interacting with fans online will). I’m explaining myself too much, but all I mean by that is that by writing this, I don’t intend to add fuel to the fire. That’s why i won’t tag sab//ra, r//lo or mention the ships just because I don’t want to upset those of them that can have normal conversations about media nor trigger those that can’t (which, thankfully, doesn’t seem to apply to all sab//zras). So, if you don’t like Wolfwren, you’ll only see this if you are looking for a ship you don’t like or if you’re invested enough in not liking it to check the anti tag. I’m not judging, we all been there. In fact, I was there during the sequel era, with a ship that is pretty similar in dynamic to Wolfwren. It was also pretty similar to a ship I loved at the time, Catradora, from Netflix’s She’ra. So, yeah, I was a big hypocrite. I still kinda think sapphic enemies to lovers is the superior taste of the trope, but that’s because I’m so profoundly gay it would scare the gayest gay, so obviously the ships I’m more invested in are sapphic. It’s a given. But my point is, now I see the whole R//lo argument from a different angle, that you can disagree with, but I believe is more realistic:

I don’t ship it.

Although it is an illusion to believe our taste in fiction is not related to who we are as people (because blah blah blah capitalism blah blah blah I’m a commie), it is possible to distinguish what we want from two fiction characters and how we expect to meet our partners in real life lmao.

(This next part I’m a bit uncertain of how it’ll be perceived, but I hope it makes sense. Please, both R//los and antis that may or may not be reading this, be patient and try to understand what I’m trying to say.

Yes, Finn was casted aside by Lucasfilm. Yes, K//lo getting a more prominent role in the films played a part in this whole process. Yes, there was a part of the R//lo fandom that was racist to John Boyega. This is also true for the Star Wars fandom as a WHOLE, because there was plenty of shitty dudebros complaining about the same shit they’re complaining today, “woke culture” and all that crap, just because they decided to have a woman and a black man as the protagonists. A decision that most likely wasn’t made by those executives thinking: “Oh, wouldn’t it be so great if we made a few minorities feel seen in this universe many of them really love?”. But it did that.

The Force Awakens came out and, despite being, at the same time, a remake of A New Hope and a continuation of Return of the Jedi, its new characters had SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. And, limitations imposed by mainstream products made by big corporations and set in galaxies far, far away from ours aside, black people and women felt represented. It is one of the many contradictions of symbolic effect of minorities groups being represented in media produced in the system that oppress them (commie, warned you). Does it change things? No, not really. Isn’t it usually done it a way full of limitations that sometimes reinforce certain ideas that are pretty harmful? Yeah… Kind of… But didn’t it feel great, after growing up frustrated that Leia wasn’t a Jedi in the old movies, to have Rey? Wasn’t it awesome that black people got Finn? This complex (at least, it started that way) defected stormtrooper turned rebel? That could, maybe, even be force sensitive���? Yes to all of those questions! Tricky, isn’t it? By the way, I do believe that (before TROS) Finn had the narrative placement of Han (reluctant hero), Poe had Leia’s (rebel leader that gets captured and literally puts important information in a droid lmao), Rey had Luke’s (lives a boring life but has a calling to the adventure blah blah blah becomes a hero, we all heard it so many times) and Kylo had Vader’s (villain that’ll eventually get redeemed by the hero). All basic, old hero’s journey. A story structure that, despite being critical of, I eat up every fucking time it envolves spaceships and lightsabers. Getting back to the point, representation has its limits but it matters and the Star Wars fandom is full of racist, sexist pieces of shit and there was a percentage of the R//lo fandom that were too. But shipping R//lo isn't, like, intrinsically racist. You can make an argument for the implications of Adam Driver being chosen as a romantic interest (both by many fans and by Lucasfilm) over John Boyega, but at the same time there is, to some degree a level of which trope (friends to lovers or enemies to lovers) attracts you more. For me, it depends. I was a Finnpoe with a soft spot for Finnrey and an anti R//lo. But I’m obsessed with Wolfwren. Guess I like non-menacing men and evil lesbians. Wonder why Ezra Bridger is my favorite Rebels character and I ship Wolfwren. 🤔

Going back to the “Opinion on R//lo checklist”:

Would I like to meet my future partner by being kidnaped? No, not really. Do R//lo shippers want that? I think it's pretty safe to say they don't, even if they joke about it as much as I do about wanting Shin Hati to stab me. Because, ohh, right, it's a fictional movie about spaceships, galatic wars and space wizards. Yeah, I totally forgot about that when I was younger.

So, shipping R//lo doesn't mean you condone abusive relationships or domestic violence or whatever. Same applies to Wolfwren. ‘Cause, like, they aren't in a relationship yet, they’re not even friends or allies… They're on opposite sides of a war. You’re supposed to try to kill each other. Some people are just intrigued by the tension/dynamic between two characters and some others are just attracted to the characters and want to read about them fucking, and if it upsets you enough that you need to try to annoy people into stop shipping it… you need to rethink your relationship with fiction. I’m saying this because I had to do it, too. I went on with the mob and statements I agree to this day got mixed up with a bunch of nonsense and I thought that by being anti R//ylo I was making a statement, I was fighting against the romanticization of toxic relationships. I wasn't. It’s like that Luca Guadagnino’s film, “Bones and all”. Canibalism as a metaphor for love has been explored in multiple ways, by multiple artists in paintings, films, novels… Does it mean all the people who produced and consumed those works want to eat human flesh?

There’s also different ways of shipping an ETL ship. I love Wolfwren, and, in fanon, I don't mind it getting super angsty and fucked up, Killing Eve style, but I also love it when it's a slowburn romance with them going from enemies to reluctant allies to slowly building a friendship and falling in love. Do you see the range? Shipping is also about imagination, about overanalyzing things, about wondering what could character x possibly bring to character y? If Wolfwren ever does become canon, my perfect scenario would be the slowburn one, though I’ll love every second of them fighting and stare into each other's eyes until then.

If you ship S/b/rza, it doesn't mean you're homophobic. Unless you, well, use homophobic rhetoric to hate on Wolfwren and/or its shippers. This homophobic rhetoric can also be an attempt of being (hate to use this word) “woker” than the person shipping a gay ship and saying the queer people shipping Shin and Sabine are actually reinforcing lesbian stereotypes. Triste me when this is not the hot take you seem to think it. Maybe try researching a bit about queer representation in media, queercoding and the hays code era. Or try to put yourself in our shoes. As I stated above, representation has its limits but it matters and increases our ability to connect to the pieces of fiction we're consuming. In my case, as much as I can enjoy it, there's always gonna be a degree of alienation when it comes to “straight people media”. That's why I headcanon characters as sapphic. Because I am. That's why autistic people headcanon characters as being autistic. Same goes for trans people and other minority groups that do the same. So, in the end, it doesn't really need to be canon and even after today I’m still not that hopeful, ‘cause, again, it's Disney. If anything, there's always a possibility that, if Shin lives, she ends up being paired up with a random dude just so people can't call her a lesbian (this has never, ever, stopped a lesbian before tho lol). I'm guessing whatever happens with Wolfwren won't affect what happens to S/b/rza. I may be proven wrong in the future but I think they closed that door in the show, at least for now. Filoni doesn't seem that interested in writing romance to me, especially this time around. We are yet to see physical or romantic attraction being even remotely alluded to in this show. (S/b/rzas interpretation of Sabine's motivation to find Ezra or my interpretation of the tension between Shin and Sabine doesn't change that). It's a pretty sexless show (and I’m not saying they should have explicit sex on a Star Wars show, but George Lucas didn't shy away from romance and showcasing attraction and romantic love). I believe that's why he made sure to “discard” S/b/rza, despiste knowing it was a relatively popular ship in the Rebels fandom (obviously it doesn't stop anyone from shipping it, but it is an indicative of how Filoni intended us to perceive their dynamic). You know what I mean? Wolfwren happening or not, being or not supported by the cast and crew, doesn't change anything for your ship. And to be really honest, it is kind of funny to me that some people feel threatened by Wolfwren. ‘Cause, like, even if Filoni wants to make it canon, in the end it will be up to Lucasfilm and Disney to allow it or not and the best they gave us so far is Velcinta in Andor. Do you truly believe we have a better chance at getting our endgame than you do? Come on, guys. Please. I don't think any of us will, just to be clear, but even if Wolfwrens “win” this ship war, it won't be like some injustice or disrespect towards the s/b/rza fandom. Same goes for s/b/rza, because unlike Poe x Zorrii that was a last minute, pulled of their ass straight romance that only existed to send the very clear message that Poe Dameron is a heterossexual man (lol, he isn't). Ezra and Sabine do have a history together that I see as platonic but can be interpreted as romantic. And you will still be able to ship it, even if Sabine ends up with Shin. That's why fanfiction exist. If she ends up with Ezra, I’ll keep reading my Wolfwren fanfics and be happy with it. At the end of the day, it's just fiction. I care enough about it to write a long ass Tumblr post, but not to make me actually upset over a relationship that isn't my own.

[dearlittlefandom-stalker]

For the character ask, Rex 24 15 12

REX!!! My guy! My dude!

Thanks for the ask, Silver! 💗

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

That he was the absolute coolest and one of the best Star Wars characters of all time. I love the guy. Always have, always will. His journey and struggle with the complicated morals between following orders and doing what’s best for his brothers always intrigued me and gave me the feels. Rex and Echo were always my favorite clones. They were firmly cemented into my brain chemistry ever since that scene in the Rookies episode when Rex dips his hand in that creature’s blood and places the iconic mark on Echo’s chestplate. “Your armor’s shiny and new, just like you.”

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Hmmm. Complicated. Mostly Rex/happiness lol. If I had to choose a special lady, I guess it would be Ahsoka; though I have semi mixed-feelings on that ship. In my eyes growing up they always seemed more like siblings?? But then my friend came to me recently with this AU where Rex and Ahsoka raised the twins while on the run and I was like “You know, this could be cute.” So again, mixed. I’m neither pro nor anti the Rexsoka pairing

I did see somewhere that Rex got shipped with Sabé? And I think that’s interesting, but I haven’t given it much thought beyond that.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character? …I have a few. • My most prominent one is that Rex was on Endor during Return of the Jedi. This one is kiiiiiiinda confirmed, I just really like it :D

• Rex was the trooper that fell out of the gunship with Padmé in Attack of the Clones. He gets mocked for it relentlessly by Cody, but as Rex suspects that it’s the reason that Anakin chose him to be his Captain, he can’t really bring himself to complain or regret it. (Though sometimes, after being thrown off the 17th cliff by his General, he wonders if he should)

• Rex is a natural blond. He doesn’t dye his hair or anything, his genes just went a little sideways. It’s not enough of an anomaly that the Kaminoans took interest, but it makes him a little special

• Rex knew from the start about Anakin and Padmé being a couple. This is also kiiiinda confirmed, but amuses me nonetheless.

• Rex could be Force Sensitive

[burnwater13]

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 5, The Jedi

No!

Uh… sorry about that. Grogu had some unfinished business to attend to and he’s… uh… really sorry. I’ve asked his dad, Din Djarin, to stop by and share some interesting stories with you. He… uh… has agreed not to relate any stories that Grogu slept through. That pretty much means that the stories won’t be about armor polish, the benefits of ensuring that preventative maintenance is performed on thrust reversers and his collection of ration pack tins. Enjoy… oh, right, This is the Way!

-- Hey! How does this thing work?

You just talk and the words show up on the screen. It knows where to put the punctuation and how to spell everything. Don’t worry. 

-- Are you sure? The last time we did this it mixed up 'ad’ika' with 'aliik' and I still haven’t heard the end of it.

I promise you I’ll check it before it goes out. Plus, most folks who read these stories don’t read or speak Mando’a. 

-- I know that. But my old friend Laac Straso saw it and he hasn’t stopped laughing every time he sees me. I don’t want more of that. 

You and I will proof read it together as soon as I go stop Grogu from packing his bags. He threatened to go to Coruscant if he had to tell another story about Ahsoka Tano. He said that’s where Jedi belong and maybe if he went there she would remember who he was and stop pretending that they never met before. 

-- Why does that bug him so much? She was very nice on Corvus, once she realized I wasn’t there to help the Imps, as if I’d ever do that. 

He said, and I quote, ‘you spent approximately one and one half days on Corvus and he spent less than four hours with her. For that he’s written forty two stories about her.’

-- He hasn’t even written half that number of stories about Ahsoka!

I know. I know. I’m just telling you what he said. He also said that he spent far more time with Niebla, first on the Razor Crest on your way to Trask and then when you went off to help the former Mand’alor. But he’s only written a handful of stories about her. He doesn’t think it’s fair. 

-- Fair? I don’t tell him what to write the stories about. I’m just the guy who has to put up with his fans sending him story prompts about me taking my helmet off and can I please say ‘I’ll bring them in warm’. That’s a bit much, isn’t it? These are just the stories…

Of his life as he remembers it. They are very important to him and I guess he’s just upset that he doesn’t know Ahsoka as well as he wishes he did. There really aren’t that many Jedi left and he still feels like she abandoned him. 

-- You know that’s not true. She did what she had to do, just like all the rest of us. 

Yes. I know that. But how he feels is how he feels. You, by the way, still haven’t stopped complaining about Toro Calican. You knew him for what, less than 48 hours, and you brought him in cold. You don’t talk about any of the rest of those people you brought in cold. Not a single one. So what’s special about that kid? Did he remind you of yourself too much?

-- Hey! He reminded me of no such thing. I wasn’t that green or greedy. He almost ended Fennec and she’s your friend. She calls you ‘Boss’ almost as often as she calls Boba Fett ‘Boss’. 

This is not about Fennec. It’s about Grogu. He feels bad that he wasn’t able to do more for the rest of the Jedi. Just like Ahsoka. They both left all the people they knew and loved and felt how each and everyone of them died. It must have been horrible. I’m sure every time she looked at him she relived those events and felt all that pain again. Which is the same for him. I had hoped when he went to Luke’s sleep away camp that would change, that he would deal with those losses and see that the Force has a way of giving back to those who lost so much. 

-- He said the food was bad and Luke was obsessed with meditation. 

I know. Now, look, the recorder’s been taking down everything we’ve said. It’s time for you tell his readers a cute, funny, thoughtful story in an amusing way, so, uh… get ‘er done. He’s dragging that bag of his across the lawn and it’s just going to be filthy and he’s going to complain about that as soon as he remembers he forgot to pack his freeze dried froglets. I’m going to take him into Mos Kadhus and get him some frozen custard.

-- Fine. What the hell. Just tell him I love him.

Of course. This is the way.

[wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart]

Tag game to better know you

Thanks for the tag @barmadumet I have done this before, but I am totally up for doing it again.

What book are you currently reading?

I just finished Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover, and I have to say that if I didn't love Mace Windu before and considered him one of the coolest Jedi Masters, I do now. He is badass! Next I will read Dooku Jedi lost.

What's your favourite movie you saw in theatres this year?

I haven't been to the movies this year. I've become picky about movies and it's become difficult to find the time. Elemental or the second part of Dune will probably be the next movie I find the time for.

What do you usually wear?

At home; leggings and a big sweater. I like to be comfortable.

How tall are you?

5’4”

What's your star sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

Taurus, and no not anyone I know who is or anything I know about...

Do you go by your name or a nickname?

My name, but also some nicknames.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

No. I wanted to be a paleontologist and author, but I became a professional vampire. Points if you can guess what it means (and it's not as exciting as it might sound).

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

I am married.

What's something you're good at vs. something you're bad at?

I am not good at this type of question, but I will try... nop that is a blank, sorry.

Dogs or cats?

Cats!

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what's your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

"Can I help you?" The former Jedi asked warily, carefully reaching out with the Force to get a sense of her unexpected guests. A shiver of recognition went through her, blue eyes becoming wide in surprise as the man pulled away the scarf covering his face, smiling broadly at her.

"Are you going to shoot me, Commander, or can we talk about it?"

"Rex!" The name left Ahsoka's lips in a rush of air, and before she could think, she had thrown herself into her friend's arms.

She hadn't seen him in over two years.

The former clone commander easily caught the young togruta, wrapping her in his strong arms and holding her close. He was incredibly relieved to have found her and thrilled to finally hold her in his arms again. With a sigh of relief, he allowed himself a brief moment to bury his face against her mortals. She giggled a little when his beard tickled the sensitive skin.

This is a tiny bit of a snippet I am working on and I am really exited about it.

What's something you'd like to create content for?

I would like to continue writing fanfictions for the SW fandom.

What's something you're currently obsessed with?

See the answer above.

What's something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

I try not to be disappointed when things don't turn out as I had hoped.

What's a hidden talent of yours?

I don't think I have any, I'm not a very talented person.

Are you religious?

No not really.

What's something you wish to have at this moment?

TIME, I am always needing more time. I don't know who to tag, so anyone who wants to do this can consider themselves tagged.

[anakinskywalkerog]

omg oli hiii! no worries at all hehe, i was sorta worried because of the oli drought lol

actually me and eli broke up like last week lmao. my friend was the one who suggested it - he was like, "dude. you dont seem interested in your relationship at all anymore. hes dating you thinking you still like him, which is unfair. i genuinely think you like han more than eli at this point; if what you said about getting the feeling of him not really keeping to himself is true, then break up, for both of your sakes."

so i did 🤷‍♀️

but yes i love 'I Can See You', all of the vault tracks are so good! foolish one was written for me lolol. and timeless is so perfect. "in the 1500s in a foreign land"??? ma'am, queen taylor has slayed again. or should i say, queen slaylor?

lmao i agree with the seasoning part. existence is too boring indeed. although i disagree with using the crush thingy. i don't REALLY like him, sort of just an attraction. in fact its over too lol. he texted me and we talked for a little bit and everything has gone back to how it was before anything turned up 💀 i get the ick quite easily

oh no! im sorry! im sure it will, but in the meantine, if you ever need, i'm always here :)

he did lmao! it took a lot of begging, and a lot of flat out refusal ("i cant write that! thats objectification! "consensual objectification!" "... no way i can do that. id be scarred." "its fine just do just do it pleaaaaase!" "lmao i cannot write smut about you both, thats too far, even for me, canberry." "...what about all of the smut you read then-") (not sure what gave him that impression but i am a college student, what am i, mary jane? i could, but i wont 🤭) cranberry asked after i wrote a sort of drabble for his friend (who also asked, but he gives highkey gay vibes lol. he and his gym bro and both crazy) back in january, but i flat out refused. and then something my friend posted on her story after one of our finals made me go "... no way, but i actually have a great idea"

ergo it happened!

but its definitely platonic lolol im sort of their only friend with such *amazing* writing skills ;) their exact words were "but youre the only person we know who writes fanfiction, please please please"

lmao i have no clue, just being crazy with their boys i guess lol.

hopefully! definitely did not seem that way from his messages, but maybe im wrong. ill give it a couple of months? plus, i have not been blocked, or removed from his stories, and he did enjoy reading it (bros was laughing so hard he couldnt even read)

lmaooo me too! we would be so iconic. feel free to drama dump anytime lmaoo. i am officially a *tumblr user who gets asks* (proud smiling) hehe 😈

i also cooked my own curry for the first time today hehe that was interesting

lmao i will try, thank you for the tip <3

love, sythe <3

sorry it took me so long to reply, sythe!!

1) don’t be worried about oli droughts, I just get busy but everything is fine!

2) sorry to hear about eli 😭 damn. but also rip and thank u next, you know what I’m sayin

3) foolish one was written for all us tumblr girlies!! lololol. but also, you don’t have to have a CRUSH just to have a lil crush. like, just a lil makin eyes on occasion makes life less boring hehe

4) truly CANNOT imagine anyone in my real life asking me to write them fanfic let alone a BOY let alone SMUT that is a crazy story

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 (ps have you watched Ahsoka yet)

[meltherebel22]

Star Wars Tag Game

Tagged by my favorite local Star Wars lesbians @thestarwarslesbian

1. Ride Or Die Ship (Your OTP): Codywan or literally Obi-wan/Clone Troopers

2. Most Annoying Ship: Rexsoka (I see them as siblings, sometimes with Ahsoka being the little sister). Also this is just me but Obitine, they bicker and fight like siblings to me.

3. Second Favorite Ship: Codex or Cody/CCs like Fox, Wolffe, etc.

4. Favorite Platonic Relationship: Plo & Ahsoka or even Plo & every clone (his children), I also like Obi-wan and Quinlan

5. Unrated Ship: Wooley/Cody or Wooley/212st. I’ve since some amazing fanfics of this and it’s incredible, Wooley is literally the baby submissive that sometimes bites back. And also Quinlan/Ventress, I felt like Obi-wan and Bant would kick his ass then accept him.

6. Overrated Ship: I feel like Obitine is kinda overrated bc it’s kind of a toxic relationship. Also Tech/Phee, I don’t really think Tech would be comfortable in any type of romantic relationship but that’s my opinion. And maybe Foxiyo, no hate towards the ship but I just feel like Riyo is gay for some reason, idk.

7. One Thing I Would Change In Canon: Fives dying bc I think he would be sick in TBB and kick ass, I also want Waxer and Boil to return to Numa.

8. Something Canon Did Right: Tales Of The Jedi, I loved seeing Obi-wan and Anakin again. Favorite episode is where Anakin trains Ahsoka against 501st.

9. A Thing I’m Proud Of Creating For The Fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: I guess my fanfiction story called Tiger Lily Hysteria

10. A Character Who Is Prefect To Me (Wouldn’t Change A Thing): I’m stuck between Omega and Cody, also Rex and Ahsoka. I feel like they were made prefectly.

11. The Character I Relate Most To And Why: I felt like I can relate to Tech bc I’m terrible with people and social cues. Also with Obi-wan bc of his kinda toxic relationship with his master Qui-gon, I see it has father & son and I have a bad relationship with my dad.

12. Character(s) I Hate The Most And Why: Everyone hates Krell and so do I bc of obvious reasons and for some reason I just hate Bo-Katan. I can’t tell you why bc I don’t not know why I hate her.

13. Something I’ve Learned From The Fandom: Be a mandalorian, have morals that you can live with, also if you see someone alone within the age range of 0-200 years old, they are free to adopt.

14. Three Tags I Seek Out On Ao3: Hurt Obi-wan or hurt Fox, blind or mute obi-wan. I just really love blind obi-wan fanfics.

15. A Song I Strongly Associate With My OTP/Favorite Character: Children Of Machine By DAGames & CG5. I love it for any clone, imma nerd out about this song now.

——————

Lyrics (These are how I see the lyrics, I’ll show you two verses):

Verse One:

He lives on through us (Jango Fett)

Born from darkness, born from lust (Literally born for war and created by money/lust)

'Cause when we reach the end

We do it all over again (I see it as them willing to die for each other again and again)

Versus Two:

Follow me, we are children of the machine (Literally bc they were made my machines)

Barely human in a city built on broken dreams (Barely human bc they are seen and looked at like replaceable machines. Broken city relates to either Kamino or Coruscant, Kamino is all about money and experiments, Coruscant is literally about money and politics. They both probably had dreams at one point but now they forget how to be people so they are broken dreams)

Follow me, we are children of the machine (Uh, uh-uh, uh-uh)

Barely human in a city built on broken dreams

——————

There is more versus’s and lines I like but these are my top favs. I also like the beat bc it sounds like foot stomps and I just immediately them marching down a hall.

——————

NPT: I’m Really Friends With Anyone But Here & Nobody Will Probably Reply But That’s Okay 👌

@oonaluna-art @mandowords @zinzinina @alamogirl80 @izzyovercoffee @necrophatic @commander-sunshine

[warsamongstthestar-keen]

Twenty-Six

It doesn’t take long for the Inquisitors to transport the Jedi to Darth Vader, and Keen can sense his elation at the prospect of being able to torture her for more information. With his gloved hand, he raises her chin to look at him. Ari’abel knows she made the right decision, and hopes that they don’t risk their lives to try to come and save her.

The Jedi Master knows that, even though she asked Ahsoka not to, the Ghost crew will still look for her. Something the Sith Lord is aware of as well, and very much anticipating.

“So,” Keen drawls, “what is it today, Ani? Your normal torture, or do you have something special planned?”

The Sith Lord leans down toward her, whilst transporting her to a cell, “I know you know Kenobi’s location. You will tell me where he is!”

“Hmmmm,” she says, faking consideration, “After careful consideration, I’m gonna say no.”

Vader growls, tossing her unceremoniously into an empty cell, before turning around dramatically, the door sliding closed behind him.

***

Kanan glances back as Ahsoka slides onto the ship,noticing a suspicious lack of a Jedi Master. “Where is she?” he asks.

“Where’s the Corundum?”

“Zeb’s flying it in the opposite direction, divide and conquer. Now, where’s Keen?”

The Togruta sighs, scrubbing a hand down her face. “She-Keen made a deal with the Inquisitors. They took her, and agreed to let everyone else go, for now.” Kanan’s face goes from indifferent to distressed to angry in the course of five seconds, turning back around to the controls. Ahsoka looks around the Phantom, noticing a suspicious lack of other people. “Where are the kids?”

“With Zeb, figured the Imps would be more likely to follow you than them.”

“So you willingly sacrifice yourself.”

“I would’ve, were it not for Keen. Do you wanna tell Leia? Or should I?”

Ahsoka collapses onto the bench behind her, once again scrubbing a hand down her face. “I didn’t even think about telling them. We need to contact Rex. Keen asked me to go to Jedha. It sounded important.”

"And we need Rex, why?" Kanan asks, sarcastically. He turns his chair around, the stars streaming quickly by the viewscreen.

"Just open a channel to him, please," the ex-Jedi sighs.

The Knight pushes a few buttons, the communicator chiming through the ship. "Rex," the Togruta says.

"Ahsoka?" the Clone Captain asks, sounding a bit worried, "What's wrong?"

"We're on our way back, but we have a problem. Keen isn't with us."

A sharp inhale of breath came through the comm, and then the Clone says, "By not with you, please tell me you mean not on the Phantom.”

“I mean, she isn’t on the ship. But, she’s also been kidnapped by the Empire,” Kanan says.

The Clone sighs, “Okay, you can tell me the logistics when you get back, till then, I’ll see what I can find out. See you two soon, Rex out.”

“What is he going to find out? He’s as wanted by the Empire as we all are.”

A bittersweet smile crosses Ahsoka’s face, “Rex has more contacts than one would expect. Some who can retrieve some info about the Empire.”

Kanan looks at her incredulously for a moment, before rolling his eyes, “Well, let’s hope he can find out where they’re holding her.”

*Rex*

The moment after he disconnects his comm, he immediately drops his head in his hands, a low gruntish-growl escaping through his lips. He once again picks up his comm, this time contacting some friends who promised they’d help him if he were ever in a bind. “I sure hope you weren’t joking, Hunter.”

The Clone Captain doesn’t have to say anything into the comm, as Echo’s voice filters through, “Rex? Everything okay?”

“Unfortunately, no, it’s not.”

“Guess we shouldn’t have expected a social call from you, eh?” Hunter's voice resounds.

"I wish it was, but we got big problems."

“That seems to be a recurring theme for you,” Tech says.

The Clone Captain rolls his eyes, “Look, I just need to know what kind of Imperial chatter you boys have been hearing.”

“Why?” Hunter asks.

“A mutual friend of ours has been kidnapped.”

He hears the creaking of what he assumes is a chair, and the booming voice of Wrecker says, “Is it the General?”

“Who else could possibly be idiotic enough to surrender themselves to the Empire to protect others?”

“Sounds like Keen. We’ll see what we can dig up. Send us a rendezvous, and we’ll help you break her out.”

“Copy that, Sergeant. Rex out.” He tosses the comm onto his bunk, venturing out to try and find Hera, and fill her in on the latest unfolding events.

*Keen*

The Jedi Master lifts her chin, glaring at the Sith Lord, although it’s fairly ineffective, seeing as her eyes are covered. There’s a burning pain radiating from where Vader had slashed across her ribs and stomach, leaving her tunic in shreds.  “I told you, Obi-Wan is dead, unless you know something I don't. As far as I’m aware, I’m the last surviving member of the Jedi Council...except for maybe you, but I don’t think you necessarily count, seeing as you were never a Master.”

“No matter what you say, I know you’re hiding something. You know where he is located.”

“Yeah sure, and I just haven’t told you cause I’m a masochist. You really think I wouldn’t tell you, even after all this, Vades?”

“I will break you, and you will tell me what I want to know.”

“For Old Republic’s sake, Anakin! Break me? After all the torture you’ve subjected me to in the past year, you really think I wouldn’t have told you what I know, if I even knew anything at all? I mean, I already knew you were a mass murderer\serial killer sadist with a God complex, not to mention a tyrannical fascist, what I wasn’t aware of was that you are a complete grakking idiot!” she spits, tugging on the metal cuffs holding her arms in place in the cell made of energy, “Oh, wait, I did know that.”

She can feel his anger reach a crescendo and can feel his presence leave the room. Keen continues to glare at the door, before finally settling on meditating. The cell the Imps have her locked in is down a hallway all by itself, completely silent, save the sound of the energy holding her body elevated in the air, and the sound of the engines whirring. It’s very easy for the Jedi Master to tune the distractions out, settling deeply into the Force until it’s difficult to discern one from the other.

[phoenixyfriend]

I have news! It was not Yularen, a friend send me this excerpt. Still unsure of where I got the "someone is meaner to Ahsoka than in the movies" message, though.

“Ma’am.” Pellaeon nodded formally, clicking the heels of his polished boots. “Welcome aboard. First thing we do is get you kitted out in proper rig.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Chief? Chief, get Padawan Tano some fireproof fatigues and safety boots. Smallest size the stores can find. Cut off the length if you need to.” Rex hadn’t actually thought to warn Ahsoka about suitable attire for the acquaint. It was sensitive stuff, telling a female what to wear, especially a Jedi, even if she was a fourteen-year-old. Besides, Pellaeon was so much more gracious with the ladies. The captain kept his eyes fixed on hers. “I didn’t have to wear fatigues on any other ship,” Ahsoka said stiffly. “You’re not suitably attired, my dear.” His tone was very paternal for a moment. “We do not expose flesh in this ship, not only because it’s unbecoming, undisciplined, and distracting, but because a ship is a dangerous place. Sharp edges, noxious chemicals, hot exhausts, weapons flash. Safety first, Padawan. Cover up.” “But I fight like this.” Suddenly Ahsoka was any youngster defending her choice of fashion to a stuffy parent, not a Jedi at all. She looked down at her bare legs and midriff as if she’d suddenly realized she had them. “And I never get hurt. Admiral Yularen let—” “Admiral Yularen may do as he wishes in his own ship. This vessel is my domain. You’ll cover up, please, Padawan Tano.” “But I always—” “Not in my navy.” Rex had no choice but to stand at attention and wait for the battle of wills to end. The new troopers were commendably un-moving in a neat line to his left; Coric rocked back and forth on his heels very discreetly, movement almost unseen, boots creaking a little. Pellaeon waited, and then extended one arm out to his side as the Fleet Chief came striding toward him with a pair of solid boots and folded dark blue coveralls. Pellaeon took the items without even looking around and handed them to Ahsoka. “Thank you,” she said, chin down. Then she trotted back up the ramp. Pellaeon’s shoulders relaxed visibly. “Good grief, Rex, doesn’t Skywalker tell his underlings to put clothes on? What does he think this is, a cruise liner?” It was at times like this that Rex savored the true value of his bucket. He silenced his helmet audio for a moment with a quick eye movement, roared with laughter, and then switched the speaker back on. “Would you like me to ask him, sir?” “Rex, you’re enjoying this …” “Me, sir? Never, sir.” “We’re both captains, Rex … it’s Gil. Drop the sir.” “Navy captain outranks army captain, sir. Strictly speaking.” “Shut up, for goodness’ sake, man, and come have a drink.” Good old Pellaeon. He didn’t give a bantha’s backside about protocol. They worked in silence. Eventually, Ahsoka strode back down the ramp of the shuttle, blue fatigues belted tightly at the waist, over-long sleeves rolled up to her wrists, and presented herself to Pellaeon. “Will this do?” Poor kid; she looked embarrassed. The brightly colored stripes on her three head-tails looked more vivid than ever—a blush, Rex had learned, sometimes one of discomfort, sometimes anger. He guessed it was a little of both this time. “I just want you to know that it’s so baggy that I’m going to trip over it and break my neck, that’s all. Not very safe.” “You’ll grow into it, my dear,” Pellaeon said, looking satisfied. “And Jedi are too spatially aware to trip, yes? Chief Massin will show you to your cabin.”

Heyoooo

A friend and I were talking yesterday about the Karen Traviss novelization of TCW and I personally remember seeing discussions about how it was real Odd (in a negative way) about Anakin&Ahsoka or Ahsoka&Rex, and also how she completely fudged the timeline of TPM for it to have Anakin as officially Qui-Gon's student for at least a few weeks?

However, @jebiknights HAS read the books, but not in a few years, and doesn't remember any such moment, and we're not entirely sure which of us is right.

pls help

I haven't read Karen Traviss' books (and you'd have to pay me money to at this point 😂) but I don't recall hearing anything about that. It doesn't sound totally unfamiliar, so maybe I osmosed a little of it, but I might also be thinking of... maybe it was Karen Miller's book that was weird about Ahsoka in a scene where Yularen shamed her outfit or something? DO NOT TAKE ANY OF MY HALF-REMEMBERED COMMENTS AS FACT. But I bet someone out there has a stronger recall of where these might have come from!

[zoruui]

Word Count: 5058

Pairing: Commander Night x Reader

Summary: You hadn't planned on having a legion dropped upon your lap so soon after your knighting, and you never expected them to be the infamous 82nd of all units. With you as their newly appointed General, their leery commander is anything but pleased. You grapple with earning the respect of your men, but unbeknownst to both you and your commander, something beyond your control is beginning to fester.

Content/Tags: gender neutral jedi reader, slow burn (but like speedrun slow burn), unresolved tension, touch starved, hurt/comfort, developing friendships, enemies to friends to lovers (not exactly enemies really, night is just passive aggressive LMFAO) order 66

AO3 Link: x

CHAPTER 1-”the lion with a thorn in its paw”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

21 BBY

Your transport ship’s landing hatch extends with a hiss as it finally docks inside The Reaper.

This marks your first assignment as a fully-fledged Knight. It may not be your first time being dispatched without the company of your Master, but you can’t say you aren’t at least glad to have Rex and Cody along for the job. The mission is sending you all to a rather remote planet bordering the Mid and Outer Rim, on reports of a threat to a village with Force-sensitive younglings. It was by a stroke of luck that Cody was able to get a hold of the ever distanced 82nd Legion through a mutual contact for a joint mission. From what you’ve read off what little of their public and military records that are available to you, they don’t often work with other units, if at all.

“Keep the objective in mind, but make the most of your time with them. This is quite the rare opportunity,” your Master suggested good-naturedly before you departed her flagship. You thought it was an odd piece of advice, but you know Master Endivain wouldn't mention something without reason. You could only wonder what she meant by “make the most of your time with them” and why.

The vessel’s hangar bay is quiet, save for a few clones doing routine maintenance on their starfighters or transporting supplies. Cody and Rex follow closely beside you. You don’t consider yourself “ship-savvy” but if the outdated designs of the floor layout and equipment are anything to go by, even you could tell that this is an older model of assault starship. You rub your nose to stifle a sneeze. Perhaps the air cooling system has seen better days, as well- the cold chill that nips at your skin almost makes you wonder if you’ve somehow landed on Hoth. 

“You doing alright?” Rex asks.

“Just a little chilly.” You offer a small smile and pull your heavy woolen robes closer around your shoulders. “Though I’m starting to think I should’ve worn winter gear instead.”

Cody says, “Well, if this campaign goes smoothly, you won't need to be here longer than you have to.” 

“I guess we can only wait and see...” The texture of your robe is rough between your fingers. You were advised to stay behind aboard The Reaper, while Rex and Cody were to be called back to their own vessels after the briefing. They figured they’d visit if they had a little time to spare, since they hadn’t spoken with this unit’s commander in person for some time.

Rex speaks quietly, “I’ll be honest, I never thought we’d see the day where we’d have the 82nd as support.”

A rickety old mouse droid rushes past Cody’s feet and he narrowly avoids bumping into it. It beeps an apology before scurrying off. “Neither have I.” He mutters, “But these situations are their specialty and they’ve dealt with these specific creatures before. Either way, we can’t risk having a repeat of the Stalgasin hive. Not if they’re available this time.”

 “Agreed." You nearly grimace at the memory. Ahsoka told you all about the incident. Some mind-controlling parasites sound like something that would be up the 82nd’s alley. You wouldn’t be surprised if it weren’t the worst they’ve had to deal with either.

It isn’t long until the three of you are approached by a trooper.

“Welcome, commanders. We’re honored to have you.” He salutes the three of you stiffly. “Sergeant Major Hull reporting.” He stands straight, his hair cropped neatly to standard regulations. A geometric tattoo creeps up from the collar of his undersuit and along his neck and jawline. The pauldron fastened over his right shoulder mirrors his rank.

You give a slight bow of the head, “Thanks for coming to greet us, sergeant.”

Hull nods, “If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you to the bridge.”

“Lead the way.”

He guides you down the hangar towards the south wing and your gaze wanders back to the troopers you pass. The other clones preferred to call the 82nd “gravediggers” - a term meant to be delivered with callousness and bite. They aren’t the most “popular” unit, to say the least. A few greet and salute Rex and Cody, but otherwise keep to each other. They carry themselves differently compared to the 501st, who’ve been in your company for some time now. The clones under Master Skywalker’s command were fiery and headstrong, but these troopers felt inward. Not shy or cold or particularly unwelcoming. Just different, and comfortable among themselves.

Speaking of different, you can’t quite tell why but even their ship feels a bit strange. You noticed the moment you docked. You peer up at the towering ceilings and trace the slithering network of pipes and wires. It heaves slowly through its dusty vents, its old flesh patched with newer, unfamiliar panels of durasteel. The air this ship pumps through itself is crisp, cold, and sterile.

A lift is hailed and its doors rattle slightly when they open. Curiously, you ask Hull, “We’ll be meeting with Master Ollis, right?”

He presses a button and with a subtle whir of a complaint, the lift begins to ascend. “Unfortunately, the general has since passed. You’ll be meeting with the commander instead.”

You hum, “Mm, I see…” Ah. A frown tugs at the corners of your lips. If you can recall correctly, Master Mar Ollis was their third general to date. You only ever saw him in passing at the Temple during your early studies as a padawan, and never knew him personally. But the news of his loss is disheartening. He always seemed so sure and steadfast…

Soon enough, you arrive at the command bridge. The observation deck is dim and thrumming with a low chatter, the occasional beeping of consoles, and the residual drone from the bowels of the ship. The familiar expanse of space is dark and peppered with stars through the transparisteel windows.

“Here we are. Commander Night should be with you in a moment.” Hull departs with a salute, leaving the three of you to gather and wait by the holotable. 

You lean against a weathered gray alloy packing crate and absent-mindedly fiddle with the soft leather details of your belt as you half-listen to Rex and Cody’s light chat. Understandably, you never had the opportunity to meet the commander in person before, but you’ve heard his name occasionally float around the 501st and the barracks back on Kamino. Especially among the younger cadets. Most of the rumors were either related to his apparently notorious reputation or why the Kaminoans appeared to dislike him as much as they did. But the cadets who were absolutely desperate for a true challenge actually looked forward to the rare instances in which Commander Night returned to supervise graduation tests and scout for new troopers. He was not described as someone who is easily impressed or pleased. And you don’t think he’d leave any exception for you, Jedi or not.

Master Endivain’s words echo in your mind. Try to make friends. How hard could that be?

Beside you, Rex knows a pensive face when he sees it. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, sir. The commander may have a bit of a...critical attitude, but he’s one of our best. Tough as a rancor and smart as a whip.”

You offer him a small resigned smile, “Thanks, Rex. I guess I’m just curious about who I’ll be working with. Not that the boys gave him… raving reviews. But you knew each other, right?”

“Back when we were cadets, yes. Fought together in the first battle of Geonosis actually, before he was transferred to a different unit.” Rex rubs at the back of his neck. “We fell out of contact after that.”

Cody dusts a speck off his pauldron, “Frankly, I don’t think we’d really be here if Hunter didn’t patch me through to the commander’s comm channel.”

Behind you, a lift finally opens with a hiss. 

“Commander Cody, Captain Rex. It’s been a while, boys.” Night responds with a slow nod of acknowledgment. His voice, low, smooth, and measured, is warmer than you expected despite its gravel (at least, it sounds warm when he’s speaking with his brothers). His armor is stained a blueish, inky black- a stark contrast to the warm standard ivory. He stands tall with his hands clasped behind his back. 

“You and your men are more elusive than we thought. I’m almost hurt you haven’t kept in touch all this time.” Rex says lightheartedly as he places his helmet on a crate beside the holotable and the three of them exchange their handshakes.

“We all have our places to be. But I’m glad to see you’re still kicking, Captain.” Night turns slightly and you notice the grisly, jagged scar that runs across his left eye and cheek, across the corner of his lips, and the bridge of his nose. A peppering of grey and light brown streak from his temples and the nape of his neck. His hair is well kept, but a rogue curl falls lazily over his forehead. And he looks exhausted . The dark circles are heavy beneath his eyes and there’s a tiredness in the way he moves. You realize now that what little official holopics or recordings there were of him never showed his face. Clones were men of a thousand faces, yes, but they were each undoubtedly unique.

You snap back to yourself when Cody introduces you and warmth rushes to your cheeks and the tips of your ears. Maker, where are your manners? It's rude of you to stare. You bow your head hurriedly, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander. I look forward to working with you.”

Finally, Night’s attention settles on you. He didn’t pay you much mind when he arrived but now he looks at you as if you’re some stowaway that crawled onto his ship, or even a pebble beneath his boot. You can’t sense exactly what he’s thinking, not that you would pry, but you don’t need the Force to tell that he’s judging you. Nonetheless, he returns a slow bow of the head, “Welcome aboard, Master Jedi.”

Something tells you that may just be the best you’ll ever get from him.

With no interest in a reply, Night turns to the holotable and powers it on. “If you’ve all read the initial report, then we may begin the briefing.”  

The initial report, crafted carefully by the 82nd’s senior researcher from recent ground reconnaissance, was generous with its information. It provided a relatively thorough map of the destination planet, Koseron 8, and their data on the invasive predators that have been terrorizing it.

At face value, the mission is an extermination job, but the two younglings that were reported missing are your top priorities. For now, you listen intently as a strategy is formulated. An image of the objective is projected above the holotable; a laurek - a rare species of carnivorous subterranean fauna previously known to be native only to a planet far into the Outer Rim. The beast’s body is long and segmented with a sickly pale leathery hide. Despite the insectoid fangs protruding from its jaws and long neck, its face is flat and eerily human. Its forward facing eye sockets are sunken and deep set, with lips curled into a sharp, toothy snarl. But its looks should be the least of your concern, what with the species’ insatiable appetite for midichlorian-enriched blood.

The projection fizzles out to display a slithering network of tunnels below the barren expanse of a desert. The laurek seemed to have made quick work of their new environment. But it’s a peculiar place for them to be, you think. From what you’ve read, they’re exceptionally sensitive to sunlight. Their skin could crisp up like rice paper on oil if they remained exposed to it for too long. 

You ask, “If they’re vulnerable to sunlight, can’t we lure them to the surface, where they’re at a disadvantage?”

Night’s gaze flickers to you, as if reminded that you were even there, and his brow furrows just the slightest. “That used to be an option, but based on their recent movements and behavioral patterns during the day, we can only suspect that these have either grown starved enough to be desperate or somehow adapted to their sensitivity.”

Rex huffs, “I guess it can never be that easy.”

“Unfortunately, no.” Night switches the map to a series of data, graphs and charts, “The more we study them, the more unnatural the laurek on Koseron seem to be. Generally speaking, lasting evolutionary change takes thousands of years to develop. And considering that the earliest account of their sightings on this planet was barely 3 standard months ago, there has to be something else in play here.”

Cody crosses his arms and brings a hand to his chin, “I doubt just anyone would express this much interest in creatures that have a natural taste for Jedi. You think these could be some Seppie lab rats?”

“I believe there could be a high possibility of that.”

You didn’t like the idea of it. It could mean the Seps potentially have access to the locations of all recorded Force sensitive children. To even infiltrate the Temple’s vault would be beyond risky on their part. You speak up uneasily, “Evidently, the best case scenario is that this is an isolated incident or pure coincidence. If the Temple's vault was somehow breached without any of us knowing, then we’ll have a whole different issue at hand, and it’ll have to be escalated directly to the Council.”

Night nearly scoffs, “Of course. But currently, we do not have the intel to make any solid theories behind this yet, so we’ll anticipate and prepare for the worst. And that includes Separatist involvement of any degree.”

“How do you say we should approach this then?” Rex asks.

“Skinner will take a small portion of the squad and follow any leads on the missing younglings. The rest of us will deal with the laurek. These things are no greater krayt dragons, but they have numbers and are sturdy enough to be resistant to blaster fire and even lightsabers to a lesser extent. Taking them on one by one would be a waste of time and ammunition.” The map zooms into a specific area. “Fortunately, their tunnel system is within proximity of an active volcano and there are three paths that connect to a lava chamber where they dispose of their scraps, here and here. I’m sure you can tell where I’m going with this.”

Cody remarks, “It looks promising. Rounding up so many of them isn’t going to be easy though.”

Night’s gaze is on you again. “Then it’s a good thing we already have our bait.” 

You blink. “...Pardon?”

The rest of the briefing is quick and concise and the plan is solid and straightforward. But the commander did not make it easy. Every fleeting interaction between the two of you felt like a challenge- like he was waiting for you to make some rookie proposition that he could pick at. You aren’t particularly chuffed about the role he dropped on you, in fact, you would’ve volunteered yourself for it anyway. It’s the most effective position that you could think to take. However, funnily enough, now you’d believe it if you were only brought onto this mission solely as bait.

As the meeting wraps up, the doors to one of the lifts slides open. Hull steps out with another trooper at his side and he clears his throat. “You’ve got another incoming transmission. It's the director.”

There’s a subtle and tired droop to his shoulders before Night accepts a tablet from Hull. He turns to the three of you, “If there are no further questions, this concludes the briefing.” The holotable is powered off and he secures his helmet over his face. “It’s good seeing you two again. We’ll make quick work of this.” He exchanges a parting handshake with Rex and Cody, sparing you nothing but a brief glance behind the shadow of his dark visor. Only when he and the sergeant head off into another office, does the tension roll from your back.

Something beeps on Cody’s commlink and he tucks his helmet beneath his arm, “Excellent, right on schedule. We should be on our way, sir. We’ll see you on the ground.”

Rex gives you a heavy pat on the back as he passes, “Hang in there.”

You shrug and chuckle lightly, “I’ll try. Safe travels you two.”

The other trooper, having waited patiently on the side, salutes Cody and Rex as they take one of the lifts back down to the hangar. He approaches you with an easy and pacified smile, though you feel it doesn't fully reach his eyes. His dark curls, parted through the middle, reach just above his ears. A faded Medical Corps sigil is branded on his shoulder pad. 

“Chief Medic Hollow at your service. Hull said you’d need an escort to your quarters.”

“It’s nice to meet you, and that’d be appreciated, thank you,” you say politely. 

He steps aside and lets you step into the lift first before joining inside. He leans against the wall opposite of you with an ankle crossed over the other and quips bluntly, “So, you’re the Jedi we’ve been hearing about? You look a little younger than the ones we usually get.”

Amused, you replied, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He gives you a cheeky, good-humored look as though to say ‘you do that’. The lift falls into a natural silence as his attention falls back on his datapad, save for the muffled drone of machinery. But a question still hangs at the back of your throat until you decide to speak up, “I hope this isn’t rude of me to ask, but - is he normally like that?”

He hums absentmindedly, “Who?”

“The commander.”

Hollow glances at you briefly from the screen of his datapad, “Ah, he gave you the ol’ cold shoulder?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘the cold shoulder’ per se but…” You start to fiddle with the end of your sleeve. Well, actually, maybe you would.

The lift comes to a stop and you follow Hollow out. He waves his free hand dismissively, “He’s like that with all the Jedi that come in here, but he means well and for good reason. Not to mention all the paperwork and meetings he’s been dealing with lately. I don’t know how he does it.  Especially since his insomnia’s only been getting worse.” He shakes his head, “I try to get him to rest but let me tell you, he’s stubborn and a horrible workaholic. But hey, that’s what makes him commander.”

“That so?” You don’t know whether or not you should feel relieved that Night’s distaste towards you isn’t personal. You’ve never met a clone who had such an ill view of Jedi. There’s a lot you wish Hollow would unpack, but you choose to refrain from digging further.

“Yeah, I mean, y’know, I may be a medic but if it were me trapped with all those boring meetings, I don’t think I’d last a day.”

“You don’t say.” You fold your arms into the warmth of your sleeves.

At this point, the medic begins to ramble off about his day to day woes and a placid smile settles on your lips. His short tales of messy shenanigans with his brothers keep your mind from wandering back to your somewhat tense meeting with the commander and you laugh along with him. You imagine he and Kix would get along pretty well if they ever had the chance to meet. You don't even notice that you’ve reached your destination until he stops in front of the door to your quarters.

“And this is where I leave you.” Hollow gestures with a tilt of his head, “If you’re ever feeling peckish, the dining hall is three levels down. Make two rights and a left past a storage area and you’ll be on the right track.” He snickers to himself, “That is, if you’re craving vitamin slush.”

You give a soft laugh, “Sounds appetizing, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for the help and company, Hollow.”

“Eh, no need to thank me. And look on the bright side. You play your cards right and maybe he’ll warm up to you eventually.” The clone smirks and gives you an easy, two-finger salute. With that, he takes his leave and you wave goodbye as he disappears back down the hall.

You tap the access switch to your quarters and think to yourself, ‘I hope so’.

 ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The ship has been in hyperspace for a while now- about 13 standard hours to be more precise. Your private quarters isn’t anything out of the ordinary and is perfectly by the code. Clean, quaint, and minimalist with a meditation mat tucked by a small bunk. The refresher is modest and the crate kept by the desk holds a set of sleeping robes that are neatly folded, if not a tad big on you.

You’ve preoccupied yourself with rereading your notes from the briefing or meditating, but it doesn’t do much to help with the light itch of restlessness in the back of your mind. You slump forward on the desk and drum your fingertips on its surface, staring at your handheld holoprojector. You know your Master would appreciate an update soon, though you’re not sure how to go about a report- or where to start, for that matter.

You aren’t bothered by Commander Night. The galaxy is far too big and busy for you to worry about how one individual thought about you. And the lightsaber that hangs at your hip is not and never should be a tool that instantly commands someone’s respect. You suppose now, you’re more intrigued by him than anything. You pick up the holoprojector and idly balance it between the desk and your finger, watching the worn metal glint. You only hope his attitude doesn’t compromise the mission; if Rex and Cody’s faith in him is worth its weight, you trust that it won’t. 

A low grumble from your stomach pulls you from your thoughts. With a heavy sigh, you lean and stretch out the tight muscles in your back. Maybe having something to fill your stomach would help you clear your head. Throwing your heavy robes over your shoulders and slipping into your boots, you lock the door to your quarters behind you.

You recall Hollow’s directions. Take the lift down three levels, make two rights and a left... As you wander, the sound of the heel of your boots on the metal floors echoes against the walls. Somehow, the ship seems drowsier than before. The illumi-panels along the hallway have dimmed slightly to paint the corridors a pale, dreamy blue. You hear the occasional beep of maintenance droids and the hushed voices of the few troopers on their late patrols. By now, you’ve grown a little more accustomed to The Reaper ’s low temperatures. 

You don’t realize you’ve got company until you hear a low mechanical whirring beside you. An R5 unit, one you remember seeing briefly at the observation deck during the meeting. The black paint of its plating is faded and littered with scratches and deep dents. It continues forward without a word. 

“I don’t reckon you’d like to join me for a quick bite, would you?”

The astromech doesn’t respond or address you for what feels like a solid minute or two. As if registering your question at last, it slowly turns its head towards you. Its lone red sensor light flickers and a glitchy beep gurgles from its loudspeakers.

You watch it move on ahead of you into a darker hallway and mutter to yourself humorously, “Huh. I guess everyone’s a critic.” 

You make the last turn and the hall opens up to a larger space. The lighting is sparse here but you can see stores of supply crates lined into neat stacks. A few were put aside and cracked ajar, with some of their contents strewn atop their lids. Hollow mentioned a storage area, so you should be going in the right direction. You pass through quietly. Curiously, you approach one of the open crates and take a quick peek. Jetpacks, ascension guns, assorted survival gear…These must be some of the equipment being prepared for the mission.

“A bit late to be exploring, isn’t it, Master Jedi?”

You nearly jump out of your skin and whip around, “Oh! I'm sorry, Commander, I didn’t realize you were still up.” Night stands by one of the crates partially in shadow. He doesn’t spare you a glance as he inputs something in his datapad, and you realize he’s been here,  double-checking their inventory for the mission.

“Likewise,” he replied dryly.

You shift awkwardly in your place. “You don’t always have to address me so formally, by the way. I wouldn’t mind, really.”

His nose turns up to the idea. “I’ll hold on to the formalities, thank you.” His back is to you as he continues inspecting a crate of JT-12s.

A few seconds of silence pass but they hang over your head like a thick canopy. Feeling bold, you decide to try your luck. “Would you want to join me for something to eat? I was just on my way to the dining hall.” You see his hand falter for a second while he types and you add, “It’ll be quick, I promise. I can even help you with the work too, if you’d like. I might as well be useful while I’m here.”

Night carefully places the jetpack back into the crate and pulls the cover back over. A cloud of dust kicks up and you stifle a mild cough. Patting down his kama, he drawled, “No need. I was just leaving.”

You aren’t surprised that he’s cutting the conversation short. Hollow wasn’t kidding when he said the commander was stubborn. A part of you nags that you should just cut your losses and leave this whole thing be, let sleeping akk dogs lie, but you wish he would at least just communicate with you. Something has got to give. Against your better judgment, you blurt, “Have I done or said something to offend you?”

This makes him pause. The space between the two of you feels wide and empty. “Offend me?” There’s a hint of cold amusement in the inflection of his voice, as if you’ve asked the silliest question. “No. You haven’t,” he says flatly and powers off his datapad, “Now goodnight, Master Jedi.”

With a frown, you press on, “Commander, if we’re going to be working together- if you could give me a moment-” You take a step forward and reach out to catch his wrist.

The moment your hand touches him, you feel the air thrum, then freeze like ice in your lungs. A flare of white flashes in your mind before a heaviness settles deep in the pit of your stomach. Night glares at your hand clasped around his clothed wrist. You feel an echo of distrust, melancholy, weariness, and a slurry of voices you cannot recognize. His gaze flickers back up to you. You don’t know why but a shiver shoots down your spine. Whatever you were going to say dies pathetically in your chest. 

You release him and hold your hand close to your body, as if you’ve touched fire. Your cheeks feel flush with shame- you didn’t mean for that to happen. Night's jaw is set tight, but he doesn’t yell or lash out. You steel your resolve, though a vague tremble remains in your voice, like your heart has been pushed up your throat, “I…I apologize. But…I want to stand by my words because I feel it’s best to establish this now. If we’re going to be working together, then I don’t believe it would be beneficial for either of us to constantly be on edge like this-”

“With all due respect, sir,” Night's voice is quiet and measured, “I’m afraid you may be misunderstanding the conditions of this temporary partnership so allow me to make this perfectly transparent.”

He takes a step closer and this time you can’t help but waver. The small of your back bumps against the chilled metal of a crate behind you. You know you aren’t in danger, and physically, he’s no taller than any other clone. But his presence feels heavy, intense, and oppressive. Breaking eye contact, you swallow and focus on the mauve markings painted across his armor that glow faintly in the shadow of the broad line of his shoulders.

“All you require from me is my obedience and cooperation. I will obey your orders and lay down my life if you give the word because that is what I was bred for. But we will not be ‘friends’, nor will we even be acquaintances. Once this mission is over, we’ll part ways and that will be the end of it.” His tone is smooth and eerily calm despite the sharp venom in his words. However, the warning look that burns in his eye betrays the facade. 

You know better than to continue to fight that. 

Deciding you are no longer worth the trouble, Night’s posture shifts and he takes a small step back. He turns and says bitterly,  “That should be one less burden off your precious shoulders.”

The commander disappears back down the hall, but you do not miss the way his hand- the one you nearly touched- flexes and clenches into a fist at his side. A dull throbbing still pulses behind your eyes and you rub at your temple. Well. That entire ordeal could have gone a lot smoother. You shake the headache off and make your way towards the dining hall alone. Maker, what were you thinking? You’re sure this isn’t what Master Endivain had in mind when she suggested that you ‘make the most of your time with them’. 

But if this is where Night wants to draw his boundary, then who are you to protest? And it’s just as he said. Once this mission is over, you’ll part ways and that will be the end of it.

[phoenixyfriend]

Rey Gives No F*cks About the Grandfather Paradox

Okay so since nobody’s suggested a fic under these terms, I ended up expanding on this post on discord and things snowballed. We kept to the basics of the entire plot revolving around Rey really hating her grandad and leveraging her blood relation to not be unalived about it.

With contributions by @atagotiak​, @dracothulhu​, @thepallaspalace​, and several others. The title comes from @gelpenss​.

The basic thing I absolutely need is this: Rey gets thrown back to the middle of the clone wars, and the subsequent plot leans in really heavily on her being, genetically-via-clone-dad, the daughter of the guy running the entire galaxy.

Nobody knows what to do with her.

The timing is mid-TCW for the past (because I want Ahsoka there) and vaguely between Episodes 8 and 9 because I... never watched E9 and don’t want to worry about the timeline. The only things that matter is that Luke is dead (he can die as he did in canon) and that Rey knows she’s Palp’s granddaughter (not the way she does in canon).

We'll say Luke found out from Anakin's panicked force-ghost and just went "well, fuck, okay, I should tell her this before she ends up in a situation like mine and finds out mid-battle or something."

Luke, prior to time-travel: Okay, so, now that I'm dead I know some things I didn't before. Like who your parents were. In the interest of full disclosure because I was in a very similar situation and I don't want you learning the way I did, I'm just going to come right out and say that your father was a clone was Sheev Palpatine. Rey: ... Luke: Are you okay? Rey: I don't know who that is.

(She grew up on Jakku, the history education was a little subpar.)

Setting The Scene

Imagine Rey showing up during or immediately before the clone wars. There’s this phenomenally powerful feral teenager from a desert backwater who tells you that if you ran a paternity test, it would probably pop up the Chancellor. She may or may not bring up cloning. She accuses said Chancellor of being a Sith Lord.

Your other phenomenally powerful feral teenager from a desert backwater, who may not be a teenager anymore but only barely, is very offended by this because Palpatine’s a Very Nice Old Grandfather Figure, but also he’s a little full of side-eye because if the blood test comes back as proof, then Palpatine had a kid and didn’t even know about them, or lied to Anakin, and that’s! Bad! Family’s important!!!

Palpatine hears about this daughter he apparently? Has? And is very confused because the timing doesn’t match up with ANYTHING he was doing, so the kid isn’t natural, and he says as much. (There is an explanation! It’s not a correct explanation, but he does come up with one.)

Finn and Poe and BB-8 all get dragged along because why not have the gang there? Nobody that’s already born, because [handwave] conservation of souls or something, IDK, point is the only person dragged along that’s even remotely close to already existing is Luke’s Force Ghost, who mostly hangs around begging Rey to be less impulsive. Finn is good because he is a nice polite boy, but for actual useful information they need Poe. The unfortunate situation is that the three do not land together. They land at the same time, in completely different corners of the galaxy. This means that nobody is there to curb Rey being her most impulsive self.

Time travel Rey knows two things. Luke’s dad ends up evil. Palpatine has always been evil.

She can solve one of these problems by killing the other, yes?

Rey: Ready to Rumble

See, the initial idea was this: Rey tried to break into the senate to kill Palpatine, got arrested, and then used the "he's biologically my father" card to get out of jail free. (Force Ghost Luke follows her like “please take five seconds to think this through.”)

But.

But.

It would be very, very, very funny if The Force just dumps her in a flash of light in the senate building and she just attacks Gramps on sight. Just a shouted "YOU!" and no-hesitation attempted murder.

Palpatine has no idea what's going on.

Rey took maybe two seconds to get identity confirmation and then started swinging.

[Image Description: An individual in a green metal helmet with an eye slit, holding a pistol. In the upper left, upper right, and lower middle are the phrases “I do not know who I am...” “I don’t know why I’m here” and “All I know is that I must kill.” End description.]

Of course, she gets arrested. There are Master Jedi in the Senate. There are Clone Troopers. Palpatine isn’t the weak old man he pretends to be. Of course she’s stopped.

But she isn’t executed in time for Palpatine to stop her from ruining his entire reputation.

Immediately after Rey fails to kill her Shitty Granddad, Luke's ghost shows up and begs her to not talk about the Sith thing because it will completely undermine everything she's trying to do. Pass off the attempted murder as something else!

Rey, panicking: "that fucker left me on a desert planet for 10 years!" "You owe me 19 years of child support you son of a Hutt!"

The Jedi have to do the investigation, because the girl showed up with a laser sword, and the conversation is, uh... interesting. (“Where did you get that lightsaber?” “I got it from a mysterious old pirate lady I never met before. I don't know, I was being shown around by a smuggler and a Wookie.”)

Interviewer: Why did you try to assassinate the Chancellor? Luke: Say it wasn't assassination. Rey: It wasn't assassination. Int: You weren't trying to kill him? Luke: Assassination has to be politically motivated. Rey: This was, um... not political. Assassination is political, right? Int: You mean this was personally motivated? Rey: Yes. Int: I see. What personal motivation? Luke: Jakku! Rey: He's my grandfather. Int: ... Rey: Possibly father. Nobody was very clear on that. Int: ... Luke: Tell them to run a paternity test. Rey: Oh hey, a blood test would tell us which, right? Int: ............ Rey: I spent ten years as an orphaned scrapdealer on Jakku. He's my father. I'm kind of a little angry. Int: ........... Luke: Good job, kid. You bought yourself some time. Int: I'm going to get a medic to see about that parternity test.

Obviously, it comes back positive. Congratulations, Sheev, you’re the father.

Rey comes with a ready-made built-in excuse for hating Palpatine that nobody can question or fault her for!

Rey, pouring Truth into the Force: I didn't even know I was related to the Chancellor until a few months ago, but it's his fault I grew up the way I did, and he should take some responsibility!

The entire thing is mostly kept hush hush but someone leaks it to the press and Palpatine's ratings tank.

"Chancellor, I think we'll need to waive family visitation until she wants you a little less dead." "I would like to find out why she wants me dead, and indeed, where she came from." "...sir, for your own safety--"

Who would win? A master plan years in the making spanning decades of manipulating and work? or One (1) paternity test

"Okay, so, Rey Palpat--" "Ew, no, I don't want his name." "You--okay. Sure, we can understand that. Is there a name you would prefer to put on the paperwork?" Rey, who would have gone by Skywalker in honor of Luke but can't do that when Anakin is right there and all: "Can I think about it?"

Rey: I don't know what I want my last name to be but I know I don't want his, and most of the people I’d want a name from have famous families like you... Luke's ghost, pointing out the Literal Nobody that she cares about a lot: How about Solo? Rey: ...Solo, then.

(A few months later she runs into Poe again and he offers for Finn and Rey to both take his name because honestly they need SOMETHING but at that point she’s already decided on Smuggler Dad.)

Backtrack a bit. We’ve got a bigger cast.

They all arrive separately. Poe, for one, does better than Rey, who is aiming for a murder, but not quite as well as Finn, who is currently being adopted and hidden like a secret cat by a bunch of Alpha Clones on Kamino. He vibes with the names-or-numbers thing. He doesn’t necessarily tell them where and when he’s from, but he’s very sweet and a great liar and they adopt him wholesale anyway.

The Finn situation is just... "Buir Ti, we need you to hide this man, we've decided he's our little brother but if Nala Se finds out she'll make him leave."

Of course, this leads into Shaak Ti teaching Finn how to Jedi.

Maybe consider Finn needing to almost be tricked into learning Jedi things because he willfully forgets it could apply to him. Finn does not like to think of himself as special, which is super valid, but frustrating for Shaak Ti when it comes to, you know, getting him to acquire knowledge. Finn's training at some point is "here, levitate objects with the Force to entertain the tubies." It’s a lot easier to convince him to practice when it involves the babies.

(Everyone on Kamino looked at Finn and went “oh I love him I’m keeping him and teaching him things.”)

(He’s just very lovable.)

Poe, meanwhile, buys the trust of Anakin Skywalker via R2D2 declaring BB-8 the absolute most baby of droids. R2D2 met BB-8 three hours ago but.

"Hey Obi-Wan this is Poe I met him like five days ago but R2D2 says he checks out because his droid is a baby." "That's nice, Anakin, did you know the Chancellor has a daughter who tried to assassinate him in broad daylight yesterday? Because guess who had to stop the Chancellor from getting assassinated by his daughter in broad daylight yesterday."

A summary so far:

Finn, on Kamino: Hey, um, I don't know where this is, but it's not where I was a few minutes ago. Do you think you could get me a comm? What's your name? Poe, on [dice roll] Denon: Oh, hey, you're General Skywalker? Nice to meet you, I'm so sorry about my droid, she's a little excitable and thought your R2 unit looked like a friend of hers-- Rey, on Coruscant: DIE, GRANDFATHER

Finn: [Peacefully vibing on Kamino, unaware of the chaos and bonding with the clones] Poe: [Trying to explain how he knows someone who tried to kill the chancellor and defend Rey] Rey: [Arrested for trying to kill the chancellor]

Just... just...

Anakin: Some guy ended up lost on base yesterday with his droid, how’s your day going? Obi-Wan: I had to stop someone who claims to be the chancellors daughter from murdering the chancellor after she seemingly blinked into existence in the Senate building. Poe: 😐

(Poe: Oh, so that's where Chaos^2 went.)

Poe: In her defense, she is his... well we don't know if she's his daughter or granddaughter, but she's definitely related to him, and she definitely grew up in a shitty situation that was his fault, so...

(Poe is trying very hard to explain this and not get arrested on the military base.)

As you’ve probably guessed, what's especially funny about all of this for me is the fact that Palpatine is fully aware that this girl shouldn't exist, but can't find a single piece of evidence about where she came from. He didn't start any experiments that could result in a female child, and he didn't have sex in that period of time, so where the hell--

Rey spends so much time in jail... BUT they do eventually assign her a Jedi Master. Possibly before she actually proves her evil grandfather is in fact evil. Most votes went to either Plo Koon or Obi-Wan. Plo, because he’s dad-shaped, and Obi...

"Obi-Wan, you already raised one feral desert child with implausible amounts of power, you handle this." Rey in return is very "Sweet, you vaguely remind me of Master Luke," and nobody knows who the hell she's talking about. Obi-Wan is NOT on board with this plan, she'd really be better off with Plo or like........ Mace.

Reunion Tour

What I need out of this is the eventual Finn and Rey reunion scene that is just excited screaming while someone in the background explains to Shaak Ti that yes this is apparently Palpatine's terrifyingly force-sensitive daughter who hates him.

(Finn senses Rey’s approach and just. Gathers the everyone to wait. He’s just :D REY MY FRIEND REY GUYS MY FRIEND REY IS COMING.)

Anakin shows up with Poe--just a guy who signed on to the military, no big deal--and then Poe and Rey are EXCITED and everyone's just like "Cool, how do you know this literal terrorist child?" And Poe has to scramble and "Uhhhhhhhhhhhh she saved my droid from a scrapheap once and BB-8 is basically my child so I owe her one."

Rey knows that Anakin ends up evil so she’s maybe not actively hostile but definitely very “I’m watching you.” That said, she vibes with him on a lot of things that he maybe doesn’t actively notice.

Rey picks up a snake, snaps off the head for venom avoidance, and starts biting off chunks. Obi-Wan's reaction: [undisguised horror] Anakin and Ahsoka: Ooh, where'd you find that? (Obi-Wan: And now I’m up to three feral children.)

What Does Palpatine Even Do?

OBVIOUSLY at a certain point, Palpatine is just phoning up every ally he has to figure out who broke protocol to synthesize a daughter for him.

So of course, Palpatine blame Plagueis.

She'd have been born five or so years before Naboo, just a few years younger than Anakin. It's such an EASY theory to build a conspiracy around. It is ENTIRELY WRONG, but it’s plausible! And anyone who might have been involved to say otherwise is probably dead!

A random bio-kid shows up you can’t possibly have contributed genes to? Maybe it’s the evil bio spark that did it.

Palpatine tries to placate her with the ‘my genes were stolen for an experiment and I didn’t know’ thing. It doesn’t work because her actual main complaint is he’s evil in her future but he tries.

It'd be a struggle to even get access to her, because of the aforementioned “maybe don’t try to talk to the daughter(?) that hates you” thing, but you know who Palpatine does have access to? The Chosen One.

Rey kind of decides on her favorites early on (she gravitates to Dad Energy and Sad Old Men so Plo and Obi-Wan are on her list, and that means decent time around Anakin and Ahsoka). It's really easy to talk Anakin into helping to some degree because "he'd like to connect to a daughter he never knew" and "a child of her power on a planet like that, you'd know her struggle, my dear boy" and so on. Anakin tries to connect! He tries to play up Sheev’s kind political work and how it can’t have really been his fault! It doesn’t work. Rey does not believe a word of it. Mostly she doesn’t even seem to hear him.

Rey's just like "...oh right, you're the melted mask that Kylo Ren was always ranting about," which means absolutely NOTHING to Anakin, but he mentions it to Palps, who loses his goddamn mind trying to figure out what she's talking about, because it also means absolutely nothing to him.

Here’s the thing: Rey’s already decided that Obi-Wan is cool, because Luke said so, and Plo Koon is dad-shaped, and she also gravitates towards earnest kindness in general, like she made friends with Finn real quick, so Ahsoka? Already getting along great.

She doesn’t dislike Anakin, really, he isn’t evil yet, he’s just... meh. She’s a little suspicious and she likes him less than the others but... Anakin.

Rey, to Anakin: You are my least favorite. Anakin, to Palpatine: YOUR DAUGHTER HATES ME???

And he goes from “she’s a lil standoffish” to “she doesn’t like me” to “she hates me” as is normal for Anakin.

It’s just an escalation of this one time Palpatine wants Anakin to not have rifts and trust issues with a person, at least not until later, because he needs information.

Meanwhile, that very moment, Rey is just like "huh, nobody here is listening to me about how make a sixth-hand carburetor work, where's Luke's dad?"

Anakin is venting to Palpatine about how hard it is to talk to Rey, and she's over in the Temple just like "Hey, that guy was useful last time, I should ask him," but also she only ever thinks of him as Luke's Dad.

(At one point, Obi-Wan is having a bit of a break down, and then Anakin starts having a breakdown about that, meanwhile the clones are (badly) trying to hide Finn behind their backs, Rey is watching Ahsoka practice and being like "I want two lightsabers," and Poe is trying to keep R2 from stealing BB-8 and Force Ghost Luke is just face palming in the background.)

(Rey deserved a saber staff, maybe one that can detach and turn into a jar’kai set. Possibly a pike. Mostly I just wish she got more chances to whack things with a big stick.)

[thecleverqueer]

On Marrok: Why I hated your theories and why I am glad I was right all along:

So, Marrok ended up being literally no one, and this I sort of knew. I’ve blogged about why. I’ve also blogged about why I thought your theories sucked, but let me break it down for you again because I feel like gloating a little.

First, your theories about Barriss Offee:

Barriss was done hella dirty in The Clone Wars. In legends, she was one of the greatest healers the Jedi had. And, to this effect, it would make sense that she would hate the war and what was happening. She felt that shit on a molecular level. Every cell in her body probably pulsated pain from what she was witnessing day in and out on the battlefield. Orchestrating a bombing of the Jedi temple though? Eh? I don’t know. I get WHY she was the choice, but… it still sucked. There is a pretty sizable chunk of fandom that still have a lot of negative feelings about it too (people that the Ahsoka series was made for). And, even on a Watsonian level, Barriss’s reasoning for bombing the temple would suggest that she would never become an inquisitor willingly. It just wouldn’t make sense that she bombed the temple because she was keenly aware of the fact that the Jedi were unknowingly (in their defense) fighting for the dark-side only to later become an inquisitor. She would likely sacrifice herself before it came to that. Never mind, on a Doylist level, the fact that ship has sailed. If Filoni had intended to use her as a mere Inquisitor, he would have already done so in Rebels. Barriss could have easily been the seventh sister, but she wasn’t (Filoni has said so).

Could we still see Barriss? Perhaps. I don’t hold my breath, but I think a lot of folks want to know what became of her. I tend to think IF she shows up in the Ahsoka series, it will be as whatever the hell kind of “Jedi” Baylan and Shin are. While Shin obviously has a sort of dark wild-side, Baylan seems as though he is motivated by something he sees as a greater good. What becomes of this is anyone’s guess, but I could see Barriss trying to better the Galaxy… whatever that may mean for her.

Second, your theories about Ezra Bridger:

So, this one I have not talked about prior, but I still thought it was sort of a stretch. While being the most compelling option if Filoni had wanted to take the “he’s someone important” route, it didn’t make much sense characteristically for Ezra at this point. And, I say that because Ezra already flirted with the dark side in Rebels and gave it up. We saw him struggle with anger and attachments, so much so that he was able to open the Sith holocron, attain knowledge from it, and use questionable dark side powers to help his friends (him controlling that Imperial in the walker in season three was peak; I’m not going to lie, but…). Ezra was already brought back in. He failed epically and nearly got his friends killed, and Kanan was able to talk him off of the ledge. By the end of season four, Ezra was zen in a lot of ways, wise in others and was willing to let go of his attachments for the greater good. He overcame.

Ezra serving the dark side in New Republic times would be a step backwards, and I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t know how Ezra is going to get pulled back into the fold, but when he is, he won’t be evil.

Third, your theories about Galen Marek (aka Starkiller):

I’m going to be real with you. This seemed to be the most popular theory, and yet it was my least favorite one. Mainly because of the toxicity that would have surrounded this choice on so many levels.

First, Starkiller was grossly overpowered. He brought a fucking Star Destroyer out of the sky with the force, melted an entire legion of storm troopers and wiped the floor with Vader in a duel. Ahsoka wouldn’t have stood a chance in hell. And, folks are like “well he could have been nerfed!” But no, because the toxic element of fandom that truly wanted Starkiller to face Ahsoka would have been pissed that he was nerfed… and they would have bitched loudly about it.

Second, thematically, it made no sense. It would have been the worst possible fan service known to mankind. It would have made virtually no sense narratively, and it would have sent up dozens of questions about canon that would be yet another mess creatives would have to clean up afterward. So, no. Bad. Bad all around.

Third, and this is just me being who I am, but I know good and goddamned well an uncomfortably large set of fandom would have shipped him and Ahsoka. There’s probably a small underbelly of fiction about it that already exists. And, honestly, I’m completely surprised we didn’t get Marrok shipped with Ahsoka (Marrosoka? Ahsorok?) because it feels as if Filoni is purposely avoiding men to ship Ahsoka with in this series. Like, you’re being force to grasp at straws. Regardless, it would have been gross. It would have been problematic on so many levels. It just makes me cringe thinking about it.

In closing:

Anyway, it was good watching Marrok literally go up in smoke. For those of you that aren’t privy to this, that was night sister magic. Marrok was the equivalent of a night sister zombie. If you haven’t seen The Clone Wars, you probably didn’t know that and congrats, Filoni just gave you the finger again for not being in the know. I will say that while this moment seemed insignificant in the short term (Marrok’s existence as an entity), this is going to come back to haunt the heroes later… as there is likely a whole hoard of undead night sister zombie creatures waiting in the wings to wreak havoc on everything and everyone. It isn’t coincidental that everyone stopped battling the moment Marrok went up in a puff of green smoke including Shin. Wait for it.

[kckenobi]

I wish you would write a fic where Obi-Wan sort of forgets to tell Anakin what actually happened on Zigoola. Bail is over for dinner or something one night and just starts casually bringing it up like Anakin knows the whole story and what happened to Obi-Wan’s knee. Maybe after the dinner Anakin accosts Obi-Wan about it and finds out that Obi-Wan has had chronic pain for a year or so and hasn’t mentioned it once. I am a sucker for your hurt/comfort fics if you could not tell, lol. Thanks for consistently writing my favorite fics of all time!

It wasn’t that Anakin didn’t like Bail Organa. He knew he was quite a respectable man–a rarity in the Senate, that was for sure. And Padmé certainly liked him. Obi-Wan, too. He knew they were all good friends, and that was perfectly fine. Completely, totally fine.

And Anakin wasn’t jealous at all.

So when the dinner invitation came, he acted blasé enough. Obi-Wan was striding into their quarter one afternoon during their brief leave from the front, looking down at his comm.

“Bail invited us to dinner,” he said.

Anakin dropped the droid parts he’d been working on and tried his hardest not to whirl around.

“What?”

“This evening,” Obi-Wan replied. “If you’re available.”

“He invited me?”

“Yes, and me,” Obi-Wan said. “That is the meaning of the word ‘us,’ you know.”

“I–well, yeah. I just–isn’t he your friend?”

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Well, forgive me. I didn’t realize we weren’t allowed any mutual friends. I’ll have to tell Rex and Kit and Quin I won’t be seeing them anymore, then–”

Anakin rolled his eyes, ignoring the jest. “Fine. Yeah, I’m free. I guess.” He looked down at his hands, which were still stained with grease. “I’ll get cleaned up.”

And for reasons he couldn’t explain, during the ride over and the walk to Bail’s door, and the whole introduction and small talk and drinks–Anakin felt nervous.

Bail was just–well, he was intimidating. He was twenty years older than Anakin, probably, and so well-spoken and calm. He and Obi-Wan and Padmé would make good friends actually, come to think of it. But Anakin had never been good at this side of things–give him a lightsaber, give him a droid, and he was fine. But put him at a dinner party?

“Anakin, what’s your drink of choice?”

They were seated on the couch now, and Bail was looking at him.

“Oh, um…I’m not picky,” Anakin replied. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“Corellian Brandy? You sure?” Bail replied, raising an eyebrow. “Obi-Wan’s favorite, though.”

“Oh, please,” Obi-Wan said, rolling his eyes. “After…well, the last time you made me drink Corellian Brandy, I think I’ll pass.”

“Trust me, it tastes much better when you’re not on the brink of death.”

Obi-Wan laughed, but there was a darkness there. A joke Anakin didn’t understand. He knew the two of them had been on a mission recently, while he and Ahsoka were away. Obi-Wan had been pretty beat up afterward, but told him not to worry about it. But ‘brink of death’ didn’t sound like a “don’t worry about it” kind of situation. ‘Brink of death’ sounded like–

“What are you talking about?” Anakin blurted.

Bail and Obi-Wan met eyes. “Just an inside joke,” Bail murmured.

He disappeared into the liquor cabinet.

They drank their brandy mostly quietly, with Bail and Obi-Wan chattering about politics. Anakin watched them–studying the way they seemed to know each other, the ease in Obi-Wan’s posture he only displayed with people like Cody, or Quinlan, or Anakin himself. And it made his chest tight, somehow. What was it they shared that Anakin didn’t know?

But he also noticed something else–the way Obi-Wan’s eyebrows were pinched slightly in the middle. His tell for headaches and migraines, usually.

In the Force, Anakin nudged him. Obi-Wan looked his way. “What?”

Anakin’s face lightly burned. So much for being discreet. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,”Obi-Wan said. “Why would you say that?”

“You look–you’re–”

Because now that he thought about it, Obi-Wan had looked wrong for a while. He was always tired, and recently when they sparred he always seemed slow, too easily bested. He didn’t eat as much, or sleep as much, and sometimes he limped. And if the headaches had been bad before, then now…

“Is it your knee again, Obi-Wan?” Bail said.

Both of them turned.

And Obi-Wan’s gaze sent a warning. “I don’t know what you mean. My knee is, and has always been, fine.”

The words were icy. Anakin’s eyes widened.

“Is that so,” Bail said, leaning forward. “It wasn’t fine the last time I saw you.”

“It was. I’m perfectly alright–then and now,” he replied, setting his brandy down on the table. “I suppose I have a bit of a headache. But, as you taught me once, it’s nothing a drink won’t fix.”

“You know that’s not true,” Anakin said. “Your head’s been worse ever since…well, ever since you went with him on that mission a few months ago.”

“Well, of course it has,” Bail said. “Because–”

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Because Zigoola did a number on both of us, but you’re the one who’s gonna feel the after effects of a Sith Planet–”

Anakin’s head whirled. “A Sith planet?”

“No–”

But he didn’t get to finish. Because, just as he was about to repeat that nothing was wrong, Obi-Wan sucked in a breath. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Anakin shook his head. This was one scenario where he hated to be right.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and ran his hands across his face. Anakin looked at Bail. “His migraines are–”

“I know,” said Bail. Not sharply, but still, Anakin felt…well, he was supposed to know Obi-Wan best.

“Yeah,” Anakin said. “Um, is there somewhere dark and quiet he could go?”

“I’m alright, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied, voice coming from somewhere between his hands. “It…came on suddenly, but it isn’t…well, I’ve had worse.”

Anakin nodded. If he could talk at all, that was good. He noticed, abruptly, that Bail had a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, then we should probably get you home,” Anakin said. “Can you–”

But Bail was already helping him stand, slipping an arm beneath his shoulders. Anakin rushed to the other side.

They helped him to the speeder. Anakin opened the door, while Bail lowered him into the passenger’s seat and closed it behind him. Anakin was about to say goodbye and climb in the driver’s side, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

“Anakin,” Bail said. “Can we talk inside?”

Anakin looked through the speeder window. Obi-Wan’s head lolled back against the seat, his eyes closed tight.

“I should get him home–”

“It won’t be long. But there’s…something you should know.”

Anakin stared at him, long and hard. Something you should know. After months of being told that everything was fine, don’t worry about it, nothing happened while he was away. Something you should know, at long last.

He tried his best not to storm back into Bail’s house.

Inside, they didn’t sit down. Anakin folded his arms across his chest, face drawn as he waited.

“I’m listening.”

Bail walked past him, as if starting to pace. But he stopped, some distance away, face drawn as he looked back at Anakin.

“I did it on purpose.”

Anakin turned his head. “What?”

“I knew he hadn’t told you,” Bail said, nodding at a sleeping Obi-Wan. “About what happened on Zigoola. But someone needed to know, someone besides me, and maybe Master Yoda. He needs someone looking out for him. I could do that, when we were together, but we aren’t now.” He exhaled. “He needs you.”

Anakin could think of about a million things to say to that. But what actually came out was, “What happened, then? On Zigoola?”

Bail looked far away. Like he was looking at Anakin, but he wasn’t. And when he finally spoke, his voice was soft.

“I don’t think I should be the one to tell you,” Bail said. “It should come from him.”

“He won’t tell me.”

“He will now, I think,” Bail almost smiled. “I forced his hand. Because someone has to know. I have Breha looking out for me at home. Your w–I mean, Padmé looking out for me here. And now, he’ll have you.”

Anakin’s eyes flickered down, whether from embarrassment or worry he couldn’t say. He did need to leave–Obi-Wan was waiting.

But he fought the urge to run out right away. He looked at Bail, saw the genuine care there. The worry. Maybe it was the years Bail had on him, but he almost looked…fatherly. He didn’t know if Bail had children. But he bet he’d make a good one, one day.

Anakin did have to go. Obi-Wan was waiting out there, hurting. But he did pause. Shook Bail’s hand, however awkwardly.

“Thanks,” he said. “For telling me. And…and for looking out for him, then and now.” He exhaled. “I’m glad to know he has a friend in you. That we both do.”

As he stepped back outside, Bail watching from the door, Obi-Wan's words echoed back to him from this afternoon. Well. Maybe we are friends, after all.

He drove home as slowly and gently as possible–for once, taking care to follow the speed limits and traffic laws. Obi-Wan was a little worse now, he could tell from the pinch in his face and the way he inhaled sharply whenever they passed brighter lights. But they made it home without incident, and soon enough they were walking back into Obi-Wan’s quarters.

Anakin darkened the room. Got him water, his meds, sleep clothes. And when he was situated, and Anakin knew he could leave him to sleep it off, he paused. Sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You should’ve told me, you know,” he said quietly. “I’m not gonna argue it out with you right now. But I just need you to know you’re an idiot.”

From beneath the sheets, Obi-Wan hummed. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, well.” He shifted, so he was sitting up against the headboard in Obi-Wan’s bed. “You’ll tell me the truth, then? When you’re better?”

A pause. Then, a nod.

“Good. Otherwise, I’d have to go back to Bail and squeeze it out of him with a little more Corellian Brandy.”

Obi-Wan hummed again. His voice was raspy and soft. “Glad to see you two have bonded over my idiocy.”

“The best of friends do,” he said. “But anyway. I’m just…glad he’s there for you, is all.”

Anakin stood from the bed, pausing just once to lay a hand gently on Obi-Wan’s hair.

“I’ll be in the kitchen. Call if you need anything.”

Though he expected Obi-Wan wouldn’t even need to. If it got worse, he’d sense it from anywhere on Coruscant.

He shut the door behind him, and resolved to make some caf and pick a holo to watch until the worst had passed. Until the worst had passed, and they could talk.

Soon. Soon, the truth.

For now, he was content to wait. And be there.