#someone else - i voted mace windu!!!!

[gretchenzellerbarnes]

@david-talks-sw where's the fic??.

Please explain your reasoning in the tags and may the Force be with you.

[cheeri-archive]

hiiiii as a mace fan. please elaborate 👁👁👁

ahe-he-he-he-heeeeem.

i'll give you the crash course :zoomeyes:

pretty much, i've given mace a little more grassroots as to who he is. he's always been itching for a fight, because he likes to prove himself - and it's not helped that his master, cyslin myr (mirialan), was the same way as a padawan. but HER master, kozish'atrolu myr (togruta), taught her that sometimes it takes wisdom before wanton. and mace learned that well. his younger crechemate awulna kol (mirialan) still liked to egg him on to fight someone who's been taking jabs at him. but she always jumped in right alongside her brother.

he's still a theater nerd. he's always been one. he runs plays in the temple and used his older crechemate (hellir' drovaddal, balosar) as a bargaining chip in the artisan halls to get their support on re-opening a club after dropped interest; even into his mastership, he can still be found giving younglings and padawans tips on how to really let loose the theatrics and get practically whatever they want from older jedi.

he's very close confidants with kit fisto and dara idella (@/spacerocksarethebestrocks), arguably brothers with cin drallig (@/penguinkiwi), and oof. he's got a lot of close buddies.

that akk dog i mentioned? that was a gift from awulna from when they were teenagers; awulna was padawan to an animal handler who found the pup alone and without bond. mace, who had periodically been returning to haruun kal to learn more about his heritage, seemed like the perfect recipient - i blurbed about this a little but tl;dr, it was an instant hit. awulna named her slobber in basic, and mace (secretly) kept that name in korunnal.. he won't admit it because awulna would never let him live it down. and ever since, every dog that comes in the temple Must be petted by mace. it is law. he loves dogs so very dearly.

uhhhhh regarding his lineage, shatterpoint, he does teach his padawans the skill and allows them to practice and grow stronger. he doesn't insist that they learn vapaad/juyo but is happy to help them train in it should they wish - alongside battlemaster cin. he's literally just a giant dad, and is hardly seen without a padawan whether they be his own or someone else's. he adores kids. he took in depa, then aria (@/clone-bar-79s, correct me if the timeline is off!) and omura, then he plans to take on a little one named aubrie wyn after the war.

yes i made him the grandmaster in cheeriverse, taking place before tpm - something something, yoda fucked around and got voted down a way long time ago, maila (@/keys-to-the-stars) became grandmaster for a while and grew tired of it, then she personally passed it down to mace. sadly qui-gon is a big-cock maverick who does what he wants to so he got himself killed on naboo anyway. despite being the grandmaster, he still personally fought in the war with his own troops and gave more power to the council as a whole so there was no imbalance should something happen to him.

idk man. i just fucking love this dude. he's so shaped. i want to hold him. feel free to ask me any specifics bc MMMMMMM MACE WINDU <3

[newswcanonprompts]

prompt #37 - Jedi are like Magpies and love their clones

sorry we haven’t posted in forever! to make up for it, i’m posting one of our longest and detailed prompts (maybe even the longest)- this came from a LONG discussion a few weeks back, and it was a lot of fun. this idea morphed a ton, and it became this huge thing. this is personally my favorite one, so hope you enjoy!

Jedi collect trinkets and wear them!!! Hand them to others as a very important gift

The Clones dont really get it, but they are happy

The jedi make them things like jewelry, keychains, little beaded things, colored strings, they’ll give them feathers, you name it 

Its another way to show that they are individuals, and that the jedi know them specifically 

The veteran clones have long keychain type things and the shiny clones want them very much and it’s something they look forward to 

The padawans hand the commanders things and being sad when the CC’s tell them they can’t take them into battle 

Krell gets found out earlier.

“Okay, look, i know krell is… well, he is *something* and i don’t want to accuse a master of the order but have you looked at his men?! where the hell are their keychains?!”

The padawans stage a protest at the senate because how else are they going to make sure that their troops know they are loved and get their trinkets 

This idea can get angsty really quickly (finding trinkets after battles, in ship crashes, or post-order 66), but we won’t do that because of how angsty this server already is, we need some fluff sometimes

Palaptine can commit self delete 

Clones will paint armor for padawans cause that is how they show honor and stuff 

The clones, upon figuring out what they mean, give their jedi trinkets also

Mirialan padawan holding armor they got: “ITS GREEN LIKE ME!” 

There are little figurines, some painted rocks, some little shiny things found on the battlefield

The clones who aren’t as good with their hands singing songs or telling stories

The jedi record them and keep them on little datachips that they keep on them at all times

Barriss doesn’t go bad because this is happy time

The jedi padawans start a riot / protest outside the senate building because some clones got their trinkets taken away by asshole civilians because they’re “not human”, just copies

The (now very pissed off) jedi sprung into action

If a snooty senator(s) takes away a clone’s trinket, the jedi just sit back and grind to a halt. Because if the clones, the PEOPLE WHO PROTECT THE REPUBLIC, are gonna get treated like that, the war can wait 

The jedi knights and masters just meditate wherever the padawans are protesting

This is done to ‘keep the peace’

If anakin hears a snooty senator degrade the clones, he starts ranting and shouting about their individuality and accomplishments, while pointing at each trinket.

Someone live streams this

Luminara joins in (barriss is right behind) 

Aayla too 

Luminara, anakin, aayla, tag teamed shouted speech 

Ahsoka and barriss are being held back by the CC’s (ahsoka is making some very crude hand gestures and barriss is like “i can name every bone in your body as i break it” - cause barriss has all that healer knowledge) 

Once these three are done, mace windu comes along with the council. They think mace is going to scold the three of them until mace starts shouting at the senators too. The council just lets mace do all the talking. 

This is the most watched live stream this year. It’s very funny and starts a ton of memes (obi wans face, yoda meditating, the look of “oh shit” on the original snooty senator’s face, the look of surprise on everyone when mace starts shouting too - there is also a gif made of the council looking at the situation, looking at themselves (mostly mace) and then they all step back to let mace do the talking, the clones faces when they see that three jedi and then the jedi high council are defending them)

Mace, rolling up his sleeves: “okay let’s do this” 

The senators: backing away in fear 

Obi wan might commit a war crime right now because no way people can talk about his troops like that

Obi wan: “am i allowed to kill a senator?”

Cody: “General, do not-”

This whole thing leads to a massive debate and overwhelmingly good PR for the jedi and clones

Shady sheev doesn’t like that. Good PR for the jedi? No thank you. But since this is a fixit he gets his ass kicked later on so everything’s fine (skeevy sheev has to scramble to try to fix his plans though) 

All the padawans from that one lightsaber episode (the one on ilum where the younglings got their kyber crystals) are there and SHIT’S GOING DOWN

Petro in particular is very close to kicking someone’s ass 

Caleb dume is there also.

“Master depa said we should never raise our blades in revenge or anger. But this is not revenge.” this is war, this is justice, this is defense of a defenseless group 

Padme also joins in all of this (but much more calmly)

She also might make some passive aggressive comments about the snooty senators trash outfit 

She and all her senator friends are gonna blacklist the original culprit 

Padme and bail organa (they also got help from many jedi) put in the clone rights bill the next day

In the halls outside the debate chamber, padme threatens to gut people with her hair pins if they don’t vote in her favor

sure, it’s *technically* extortion, but come on, who’s gonna stop her? those pins are pointy y’all

Anakin tried to help draft / present the bill but he spent most of his time ranting about the injustices the clones have to face (leia had to get it from someone)

Anakin, out of breath: “AND ALL YOU SENATORS JUST SIT HERE, DOING NOTHING, WHEN THEY’RE OUT THERE DYING FOR YOU-” 

Padme: “okay ani i got this, drink some water please” 

Ahsoka also jumps in 

Plo, who’s watching the debate: “little ‘soka, please don’t hurt anyone” (but he’s not about to stop her, after all these are his sons we’re talking about) 

If someone said “well they’re not slaves?” anakin would go OFF. if you thought he was angry before… you got another thing coming.

“I AM A FREED SLAVE! I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE! THESE MEN HAVE LESS RIGHTS THAN I DID AS A SLAVE!” 

If the public doesn’t know about his childhood before, they do now

Imagine the shock 

Padme: “Ani, deep breaths, it’s gonna be okay.” 

Also padme, to the other senators: “well i mean he’s not wrong you assholes”

Padme is also making very well timed comments and suggestions. It’s the most successful day she’s had since she became senator

She’s also revealing all the senators’ dirty secrets

Padme: “oh, senator so-and-so, i released all your finances and your voting history on the holonet. I’m sure your supporters will love that you’re embezzling funds. Oh, you lost your support? Tragic.” 

The jedi also have dirt on everyone and they just casually let everything slip like they weren’t secrets 

Shady sheev Palpacreep is in his little podium thing during the debate, and he is very pissed, because his plan is getting ruined, but he can’t let it show or else people will discover the truth about him

Anakin: “isn’t it great that we’re finally doing something about it?” 

Sheev, pained: “Of course-” 

This whole debate is still live streamed - and it’s very popular

The senate who made the original comment and started all of this is #cancelled 

This is the greatest thing the galaxy has ever seen / watched because drama 

If a jedi dies, and they aren’t brought back to the temple, they are burned with the other dead on the battlefield. Young padawans take their master’s trinkets in remembrance, wanting to follow their path and have tangible proof that the master passed into the force but that they left their mark in the world

You do not burn the trinkets. Krell tried once. It almost started a jedi civil war (maybe that’s how he gets found out) 

Or maybe krell was found out because he gives zero trinkets to his men, and everyone caught on and were like “hey wtf man” 

But if you wanna make it angsty ( cough cough umbara ) then krell tells the 501st to remove / burn / throw out their trinkets or he’d do it for them 

He gives them an example by slicing a very special one that anakin and ahsoka both gave to rex 

Krell also slices one of dogma’s. It was the only one dogma had because  he was newish to the battalion at the time and wasn’t sure if accepting the trinkets was against regs or not. Krell slashes it and dogma doesn’t say anything but there were tears in his eyes 

All the jedi who find out what happened replace all the trinkets so fast. They also give krell’s men a shit ton of presents.

Krell’s men have no idea what to do with them, but they are so touched a few shed tears when they get them 

The clones get small tattoos of patterns that the little padawans drew for the men

The tattoos are small because some of them *might* just be random squiggles but the padawans looked so happy the clones just had to get them tattooed

Anakin orders japor wood with padme's bank account to make snippets for the clones because it’s not only a jedi thing, it’s from anakin's homeworld - and that’s like the highest praise you can get from him

The clones might not know exactly what it means but they know its super special 

Padme figures out a way to buy japor wood in bulk. Anakin is very touched by this 

When snooty senators start badmouthing clones, yoda just sits there and meditates to drive the senators nuts

“Sitting, i am, because stand you bitches, i cannot” 

Padme gets many trinkets from the 501st because they all *know* about her and anakin

Any trinkets that she gets she likes to incorporate into her outfits (like the warrior fashionista that she is) 

She embroiders some of them into her dresses and hairpieces 

They both get a TON of trinkets when the twins are born

Padme also gives trinkets to the 501st, some of the 212th, and all of the coruscant guard. Especially fox cause she sees all the work he does and the senators he has to deal with 

She’s besties with the coruscant guard. Like yeah, she knows the 501st and they know about her and anakin (and she’s one of them because of it) but the guard is who she’s always with

She probably wore red on debate day to represent them

[gffa]

As I contemplated in what capacity we would see Yoda in the High Republic line, I read that the title of Grandmaster is bestowed upon the oldest and wisest of the Order. That makes it seem like the odds are stacked in the favor of Yoda's species, since they live for hundreds of years longer than most, which also increases their opportunity to accrue wisdom. I wonder if that makes Yoda's species the closest thing to Jedi aristocracy. The implications...

Hi!  It’ll be interesting to see if Yoda has any appearances in the High Republic stuff, he hasn’t really been mentioned at all in the promo material (but not much has been), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was there in some capacity! As for the idea of Yoda’s species having the odds stacked in favor of him, I don’t really see it in that sense--yes, his species lives longer, so they have more time to accrue wisdom, but it’s not like it’s not still experience and wisdom.  It doesn’t suddenly lose validity because Yoda lived longer than others, it doesn’t mean that he’s handed the role just for the sake of seniority.  It’s because he truly is a wise, compassionate, and thoughtful Jedi Master.  He still worked for and earned that wisdom, even if he had more years to do it.  He still has experience that the other Jedi genuinely value because it’s good experience! Further, it’s not like people don’t argue with Yoda or disagree with him, so it’s not like he’s actually Jedi aristocracy.  Obi-Wan as a Padawan is ready to fly right in Yoda’s face to train Anakin, the rest of the Council disagrees with Yoda, he didn’t think it was wise to train Anakin and they outvoted him, Yoda is put under strict orders to not leave the Halls of Healing in season 6 and has to enlist Anakin’s help to sneak out, because he can’t just do whatever he wants, etc. Nor is it like age is the defining factor, otherwise Yaddle should have been #2 by the time of The Phantom Menace and yet, instead, we see that it’s Mace Windu, a human with a human lifespan.  The Jedi seem to elect the people that they genuinely feel are in the best place to lead them, whether that’s someone who has 800 years of experience or 40-50 years of experience. If I were a Jedi and were given the choice of who to vote to bestow the title of grandmaster onto, I’m going right for Yoda, too.  It doesn’t matter how many years he did or didn’t have to accrue that wisdom, it only matters that he is wise and caring and compassionate in the narrative.  That’s who I think we all should want as a leader, someone who has the most and best experience for it, someone who still promotes questioning him (as Yoda has been shown to do, he says to both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon at different points in the comics, that asking questions is a good thing, you’re supposed to do it, we see he never gets truly angry at someone for disagreeing with him or voting opposite him), but also is genuinely a good leader. Yoda’s not above anyone--Masters, Knights, and Padawans alike all seem to turn to him for advice when they need it and Yoda makes them for them, takes them seriously, cares about them.  He promotes asking questions about stuff, he enjoys teaching children and being silly and taking time to enjoy little things.  He is the most critical of the Jedi out of all the characters we see in the prequels, too. Yoda’s a pretty great leader, from everything I can see about him.  Not just because he’s older than everyone else, but because he seems to have really done his best to become as wise as he can be and because he cares deeply about others.  All the things a leader should be doing!

[otnesse]

Really have to agree with that post, quite honestly. And I definitely wasn't fond of some of the Council's... views on things (heck, the ROTS novelization if anything came across as even WORSE for them, since not only did they blatantly, and rather callously if I might add, consider trying to actually manipulate Anakin into spying on Palpatine in an act that does in fact come across as somewhat treasonous, but Mace Windu even implied this whole thing was planned less out of a desire to protect the Republic from the Sith, and more out of a calculated act to outright sabotage a friendship Anakin was about to have with Palpatine simply to keep him under THEIR thumb. What was it again about toxic love not being allowed in the Jedi Order? Because what they tried to do with Anakin sounds EXACTLY like the kind of toxic love that the "no attachments" rule was meant to stop. Obi-Wan, to his credit, did attempt to speak out against the plan, and only went along with it because he was effectively out-voted, but even he wasn't necessarily against the plan itself and more Anakin being used for the plan).

And quite frankly, even ignoring the Jedi Council's rather appalling treatment of Anakin for quite a few instances (seriously, it says a lot that PALPATINE of all people came across in the movies and even the Legends EU as actually GIVING a darn about Anakin's worth. Sure, it was for the ultimately selfish desire to have a powerful Sith apprentice, but even that was still giving Anakin FAR more respect than the Jedi Council did where they repeatedly put him down), I also really ended up disgusted with how George Lucas handled Anakin's arc, especially his actual motives for turning to the Dark Side. Long story short, George Lucas in a Time Magazine interview essentially stated Anakin's turn to the Dark Side was due to wanting to prevent the loss of his loved ones, and even implied that he if anything SHOULD have had a lack of concern for his loved ones. He effectively demonized Anakin for showing human concern and compassion for his mom and girlfriend in other words. He even implied that he often told his own daughter whenever she wished for him to get a new mommy (referring to his divorce to Marcia) that she just get used to it. This... I can't even put into words just how disgusting that was... (as an aside, due to my religious beliefs, I would NOT advocate Lucas remarrying with someone else. But I WOULD advocate that he try to mend fences with Marcia. Same goes with her as well) I genuinely hated what George Lucas did to Anakin Skywalker as well as the Jedi Order, the Council especially. What's worse is that, based on his comment on how the likes of Barack Obama made for the ideal Jedi, he essentially implied that actually IS the way to go for them, sort of like Mike Wallace's infamous Ethics in America appearance.

I still, up until this day, have no idea why the council held such a personal dislike towards anakin. Aside from the “he’s too young” or “he feels too deeply.” Didn’t anakin try to follow the rules? Unpopular opinion, but the fandom tends to drag how Anakin was the embodiment of rebellious and recklessness at every turn but... he’s really not?

The Council’s behavior around Anakin had NOTHING to do with who he was as a person. Just like Obi-wan’s ‘pathetic life-form’ dismiss, the Council’s rejection of Anakin happened before they even knew what he was. People use Yoda’s ‘fear is the path to dark side’ speech to validate de Council’s decision but the truth is that they had already dismissed Anakin before that. and even if they hadn’t, it baffles me how some people have no trouble with how a 9 years old child was treated. Anyone who looks at 9 years old and gives up on them because ‘they don’t like a good person’ or that they are ‘beyond helping’ is an asshole. The audience may know, but at that point not a single character knew what would become of Anakin. 

Like Anakin, I was well past infancy when I began my training at the Jedi Temple. There was much concern about whether I was too old to learn the ways of the Force, that my Cerean childhood might cloud my judgments, but … I am not certain of how to express myself. My mind tells me I should feel empathy for Anakin, but my instinct tells me something else. [Ki-Adi-Mundi in Ryder’s Windham’s Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force]

What disturbs me most of all is Anakin Skywalker himself. It is not in my nature to make assumptions about anyone based on appearance, and yet I find it almost alarming that the boy looks so entirely unremarkable. If I didn’t know better, I would have dismissed him as a harmless raga-muffin. [Ki-Adi-Mundi in Ryder’s Windham’s Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force]

This is cruel. A raga-muffin is defined as ‘a poorly clothed often dirty child’. They recognize Anakin’s extreme situation, they know he was a former slavery who had just been separated from his mother but their reaction is: ‘I don’t trust him’. a bunch of grown men treat a poor, traumatized child coldly because they don’t trust HIM. Is that the wisdom I am supposed to blindly admire and defend? The one that dismiss everyone who doesn’t fit in? No, thanks.

There was no sympathy for Anakin.

Inside, Anakin Skywalker faced the Jedi Council, standing in the same place Qui-Gon Jinn had stood some hours earlier. He was nervous at first, brought into the chamber by Qui-Gon, then left alone with the twelve members of the Council. Standing in the mosaic circle and ringed by the silent assemblage, awestruck and uncertain of what was expected of him, he felt vulnerable and exposed. The eyes of the Jedi were distant as they viewed him, but he sensed they were looking not past him, but inside. They began to question him then, without preliminary introductions or explanations, without expending any effort at all to make him feel comfortable or welcome. He knew some of them by name, for Qui-Gon had described a few, and he was quick to put faces to names. They questioned him at great length, testing memory and knowledge, seeking insights at which he could only guess. They knew of his existence as a slave. They knew of his background on Tatooine, of his mother and his friends, of his Podracing, of Watto, of everything factual and past, of the order of his life.  [Terry Brooks. The Phantom Menace]

And yet, Anakin tried so hard to fit in. This super rebellious, ‘fuck you, council’ Anakin the fandom uses to justify the Council’s behavior only exists in the clones wars (2008). Yes, Anakin have always broken rules and had difficulties acting as the perfect Jedi but he never openly defied the Council. If you watch the movies it becomes obvious that Anakin always submitted to them (even when he didn’t like). His greatest defiance (his marriage to Padmé) shouldn’t count as justification for the Council’s behavior because they found out the truth. 

Anakin was submissive. The only time openly challenged the Council to the their face was when they denied the rank of Master and we we all know how that short-lived:

Most of the time, Anakin was really insecure. When he was growing up he desperately needed Obi-wan’s approval. Later he needed Padmé’s support to go after Shmi and later Obi-wan. 

[Padmé] put the cup down on the small table beside her. “Even though you’re concerned for Anakin—and I know you are, so don’t bother with the stoic-Jedi act—I imagine you’re not very pleased with him right now. But you should know, Obi-Wan, he did not disobey his orders lightly.” Startled, he stared at her. Then he pulled a wry face. “Which time do you mean? When he left Naboo for Tatooine, or Tatooine for Geonosis?” “Both times. Obi-Wan, no matter what you might think, he takes being a Jedi very seriously. It’s all he talks about. Being a Jedi, and not disappointing you. He—” [Karen Miller. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space]

He was the Chosen One, they told him. He was supposed to bring balance to the Force. Anakin thought that some little extra support might go with being the Chosen One, a helping hand or at least some understanding from the Jedi Council, but instead he was passed around like an unwelcome burden, ending up with Qui-Gon Jinn and then Kenobi because nobody else would have him. His chosen status meant less than nothing; it felt more like a stigma. And they wondered why he was difficult at times. Maybe they didn’t want balance, whatever that was. Maybe nobody liked a Jedi who was that different. He felt like an embarrassment to them. I do everything you ask of me. I try so hard. When is it going to be enough? When are you going to say, “Okay, Anakin Skywalker, you’re good enough”? Karen Traviss’s The Clone Wars

And even if he hadn’t been, NOTHING justifies the treatment he got as a little child because you cannot use something that didn’t happen as a reason. In real life, if someone mistreats a kid because they fear the kid might grow up to be a criminal it would be considered abuse. But because it’s Anakin – the butt of every joke – the cold treatment Anakin receives as child is somehow a beautiful example of the Council’s compassion and forethought. 

It’s kind of funny. I mean, if the Council was right to treat a 9 years with disdain because the kid was going to grow up to be evil I wonder how fans justify Yoda admiring Papatine – an actual Sith Lord – for years?

The Jedi were sworn to uphold the Republic and protect its ideals, not entangle themselves in the fortunes of any one Chancellor. Political careers were not their affair. Personalities were supposed to be irrelevant. But somehow Palpatine was changing that. Not by being a bully or imposing his will. Quite the opposite: he was constantly resisting the Senate’s eagerness for him to assume more and more executive powers. He resisted, the Senate insisted, so reluctantly Palpatine agreed. And every time he acquiesced to its requests, he turned once more to the Jedi for advice. It was hardly an ideal situation. The Jedi Council was not just another branch of the executive office. But how, in good conscience, could it refuse to aid a man who so humbly petitioned for their assistance? A man who championed them in the Senate at every opportunity? Who had worked tirelessly for peace since assuming the highest political office in the galaxy and was now faced with the daunting, terrifying task of keeping their vast Republic intact? How could the Jedi Council turn its back on such a man? Clearly, it couldn’t. Clearly, in the face of these extraordinary times, the Jedi must set aside their traditions and come to the aid of the man a galaxy looked to as its savior. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space]

Somehow, I guess it’s okay to treat 9 years old Anakin poorly because he *might* be evil at the same it’s also okay to treat a sith lord with the uttermost respect and bending the rules to accommodate him because he *is* evil but they don’t know it yet ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

So, this is not just about Anakin and how the fandom has a lot of trouble sympathizing with him. This is also about how the fandom fails to recognize the Council’s shortcomings.

Not to quote Filoni again but…”I’ve always felt that one of Anakin’s downfalls, like it’s never that Anakin was innately going to be evil, but the people around him, the Jedi, in their lack of compassion, in being so selfless that they almost forgot to care.” 

[warsamongstthestar-keen]

Chapter Sixteen

The Jedi Master appropriates a ship, quickly fleeing the Star Destroyer she had been moved too. Almost as soon as the ship hits space, she dismantles the tracking device, to be sure that no one will be able to locate her.

Keen maneuvers the ship further from the Destroyer, checking the on board maps to figure out where she is, and to locate some hyperspace coordinates. She finds that she's a small jump from Alderaan, a planet which holds someone to whom she is very close.

"Alright, you said I could drop by any time, Bail," she murmurs to herself, making the jump to hyperspace. Ar'iabel programs the autopilot, her head throbbing all the while. Her vision is still spotty, and while that doesn't bother her much, seeing as she can function just fine without vision. It's the fact that she's light-headed, the inhumane incarceration of the Empire doesn't help much.

The Jedi hopes she can hold on to her conscious thought long enough to at the very least jump out of hyperspace. It's only a few moments later that her eyes begin to hurt so badly that she clenches them shut.

"C'mon, c'mon. You can do this Keen, you've been through worse, of course you always had your men with you, but it's fine with the Force's help, you'll be fine."

She launches the shuttle from hyperspace, and it's only mere moments later that Master Quinara succumbs to unconsciousness.

***

She opens her eyes to find her Padawan standing before her.

"Master Quinara," he greets.

"Qui-Gon?"

"Don't worry, Master, you aren't dead, but, we have much to tell you." Keen turns to find many Jedi long since dead standing around her.

"What's wrong?"

Jedi Master Mace Windu steps forward. "Well, Keen, as I'm sure you've realized, Obi-Wan isn't able to train the young Skywalker, but, there is the possibility of another, just as strong as he. With training, the girl could be the Chosen One, who will bring balance to the Force."

"So, all this flashy showmanship to inform me that I need to take on a new Padawan? It wasn't necessary, as I was already considering, thinking, and meditating on this decision, which you all already know. Is this you, casting your vote into the pile of take a new Padawan?"

Master Gormo steps forward in place of Mace. "This is us, using our knowledge and connection to the Force, advising you on an important matter."

"I understand, Master, and I will take the Princess as my apprentice, you all have just convinced me."

The collection of the Jedi of old begin to fade from her sight.

***

Keen slowly blinks her eyes open, a blurry figure draped in the colours of the Alderannian viceroy. "Bail?" she questions quietly.

"Ah, Master Quinara, great to know you're still with us. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Vader," comes her simple response. "Thank you for saving me."

"Of course, old friend. When you are ready, there are some people I want you to meet," the viceroy tells her, standing to leave.

"Actually, Bail, there is a matter of great importance I must discuss with you," the Jedi calls, sitting up in the bed, ready to stand.

The Alderannian senator strolls back to the Jedi, pushing her gently back down to the bed. "Whatever it is, it can wait until you're well."

Ar'iabel concedes to the senator, "Fine, just one thing. Please, find a way to contact the Ghost, and inform them that I'm alive, and I'm safe."

Bail nods, as he leaves the room.

The Alderannian viceroy refuses to allow her to leave the med-wing of the palace for days, wanting to be sure of her health. By the third day, she's ready to impale the med-droid looking after her, but somehow managed not too.

Almost five days after escaping the Imperial Destroyer, the med-droid finally grants her a clean bill of health, and the Jedi, back in her robes, leaves the med-bay with Bail Organa. She's practically bouncing on her toes, having gotten antsy to check in with the Ghost, and talk to the viceroy about her plan for a new Padawan.

"Bail, I know you wanted to introduce me to someone, but, I request the chance to contact the Ghost before, if you believe that will be alright."

"Of course, I'm sure you're anxious to return to your crew."

"Jedi don't get anxious, viceroy," is Keen's response, as Bail leads to an empty bedchamber.

"If you want, while you remain here, you may use this room. Better than the med-bay anyway."

"Anything is better than the med-bay," she responds, moving to a communicator. "I'm assuming this is on a secure line?"

The Alderannian senator nods, shutting the door as he leaves. The Jedi takes no time contacting the Ghost.

"Hello, Ghost, do you read me?"

"Keen, you don't know how happy I are to hear your voice. Fulcrum informed me that you were alive, but injured. Are you all right?"

"Never better, are the others there?"

"Yeah, I'll call them to the cockpit, give me a few seconds."

"Of course," Keen responds, a smile on her face for the first time in five days. She sits expectantly, waiting.

"Keen?" Ezra's voice comes over the comm.

"Ez, hey kid, how are you?"

"Better, thanks."

Before Keen can say anything else, Kanan says, "I think we're all a little better after hearing your voice."

The Jedi smiles, "You flatter me." Just as she says the words, the door to the room slides open once more, the Alderannian viceroy leaning against the doorframe. "Alright, guys, I've gotta go, I will be in contact as soon as I can." Ar'iabel doesn't wait for a response from the Ghost, severing the connection.

"Is everyone alright?" Bail asks, as the Jedi glides past him.

"Just peachy. I'm antsy to get back, but I really must speak with you Bail."

"And I you, Keen." The viceroy sighs, "It's about Leia." The Jedi whips her head, looking up at Bail. "I believe you should begin her training, just to be safe. She has shown signs of being Force-sensitive."

"I was planning on asking if it would be alright to take your daughter as my Padawan, but, it seems as though the Force made that decision for us." It suddenly clicks in Keen's brain as they turn down another long corridor. "So, who am I going to meet?"

"Some friends of mine."

"Great," the Jedi rolls her eyes, "That's not cryptic at all."

The senator doesn't respond, leading her deeper into the Alderannian palace. They descend staircase after staircase, "Bail, please tell me you aren't taking me to your basement to kill me."

The senator looks at her out of the corner of her eyes, "Why would I kill you after everything I just went through to save you?"

Master Quinara considers that for a moment, before conceding with a nod, "Good point."

Finally, they arrive at an old stone door at the base of the staircase. The viceroy turns the doorknob, gesturing the Jedi in before him.

The room is old, made of stone. There are some old boxes stacked in one corner of the room,and hanging from the back wall of the room is a flag with a star bird on it. The most noticeable part of the room, though, are the holograms, three of them.

Two of the figures the Jedi recognizes, but one she does not. Viceroy Organa looks at her, sweeping his arm in a gesture to indicate the other three.

"Jedi Master Quinara, meet the Rebel Alliance High Command. I'm sure you remember Mon Mothma, and Ahsoka Tano. That is Commander Jun Sato."

The Jedi's eyes are wide, a smile on her face. "I had heard the rumours of a wide scale Rebellion, and I had assumed you were a member, Bail." Ar'iabel turns to the holograms. "'Soka, you have no idea how happy I am to know you're alive."

The Togruta smiles back to the Jedi, "When Captain Syndulla informed me that you were alive, and still fighting, I was the happiest I have been in years."

"So, why exactly am I meeting you all?"

"We merely wanted to loop you in, seeing as you are the last member of the Jedi Council still alive. If necessary, we may call on you for assistance," Commander Sato informs her.

"Of course," Keen nods, "I'd be happy to help you bring peace back to the Galaxy."

"This is all we have to discuss at the moment, although we may have Fulcrum contact you in the future," Mon Mothma says, gesturing to Ahsoka.

"Understood. May the Force be with you."

"And with you as well," the three rebels say, as they close down their holograms. The basement darkens, the blue light of the holograms fading.

"Bail," Ar'iabel begins.

"I understand, you must return to your team. Talk with Master's Yoda and Kenobi about training Leia."

"Of course…. Could I possibly have a ship?"

"I'll provide you a transport to meet with the Ghost, and then the ship shall return here. We can't have anything alluding to assisting the Rebellion," the Alderannian senator says, leading her back through the twisting and turning halls and staircases.

"I understand, Bail, and I thank you for your assistance. If Vader, or the Emperor ever found out that you helped me, you could be executed."

"We'll just have to be careful then, won't we?"

[overcaffeinated-creative]

20, 21, 34, for anyone you’d like!

For this one, I’m going with my main four characters: Solus Vetra, Lumi Kirrin, Jazari Naaji, and Kamelia Malo! It’s going under a cut because I already know I’m going to get long winded with it.

Are they insecure or happy with themselves?

Solus is happy with herself more often then not. There’s always room to improve things (she’s only going to stop that when she’s dead) but overall she’s content. After what felt like forever Solus finally became herself again and found her true purpose. The further she gets from the Jedi Tenants the happier she becomes.

Lumi is super happy with herself. Are there flaws? Yes, but they’re her flaws. Some little habits she needs to change, others set in stone that she has just accepted, and a few that straddle the line between flaw and strength. But, she considers the important thing is she recognizes her own self worth.

Jazari is insecure sometimes. When compared to the other two, it is hard to not feel down on herself some days. Solus and Lumi are extraordinary in her mind. Their generation will be shaped by them. Those feelings come up even more during the Clone Wars. Most of her time is spent within Arca Barracks running the back end of various ops next to their much more active Front Line Presence. It feels like they are risking more, doing more, giving more to the War Effort. But, they make damn sure she knows she’s just as valuable as they are, if not more so. Because they’re always going to lift each other up.

Kamelia’s middle name could be Insecurity at this point. Instead of building herself up from the inside she depends too heavily on outside validation. The simplest bit of constructive criticism sends her spiraling into the depths of self-loathing and puts up all of her walls. It was an okay system until she went from being the shining star of her age group to falling behind. Instead of trying to work past it she continues to be catty, hypocritical, and frankly self-adsorbed. 

Opinion on romance?

Solus has a pretty favorable opinion of romance. It takes a backseat a lot to everything else going on in her life but she does enjoy the gestures. Nothing ostentatious like roof top declarations or useless, gaudy gifts catches her eye. But, the small things like remembering her favorite food or forehead kisses? Surprising her with flowers or fixing a weapon/starfighter/etc for her or running a bath for her because her day sucked? Yeah, those will always win her heart over. She’s not there for the fleeting feelings but the long haul instead.

Lumi is wary of traditional romance. It feels like society at large puts too much emphasis on it. Everything about “Love and Romance” is supposed to be some kind of grandiose display of claiming one another. None of that appeals to her on any level. Instead, she prefers a quiet comfort derived from being together. A feeling of caring and belonging and home. Basically, she wants the only difference between her friendships and partnerships to be agreed upon rules among themselves. If she cares about someone then she cares about them. There’s no strange feeling of mystery or excitement to put it on some unattainable pedestal. That being said, she will melt from little gestures from her lover(s). Those are the things that matter most to her.

Jazari really enjoys spoiling others with little romantic gestures. There’s something that warms her heart about warming others hearts. Flowers, little snacks, fixing a broken datapad, even just the cutesy messages back and fourth throughout the day are fantastic to her. Being on the receiving end is almost always equally as nice. Just spoiling one another with little dates to fall deeper and deeper in love makes her happy. The Galaxy has enough hate and discord, what is needs now is love and kindness.

Kamelia has a very torn opinion on romance. Outwardly, she denies wanting it. Because romance implies falling in love therefore breaking the Code. She is so desperate to be a good Jedi she will do anything to avoid breaking those rules. Hell, she judges those who fail to follow the Code repeatedly. But…she wants romance. She wants the big gestures and shows of affection. More than anything she wants someone to show her off (and that she can show off) because they belong together. She watches dramatic romances or historical dramas dreaming of living the charmed lives of the heroines. Dating, love, marriage, and babies ever after is what she wants but refuses to admit.

Do they have any trauma? if so, what?

Solus had a very traumatic life before the Jedi Order. She was born during the Great Clan Wars on Mandalore and was almost executed during it, at age four along with fellow future Countess, Ursa Wren (age 14/15 and the general of the stronghold), in an attempt to take the planet. The Jedi voting her in was luck but also a curse because she was always too much for them. She grew up bullied for being Mandalorian, for being a “Bad Guy” if you followed the Republic’s biased history. She was also far too intelligent, too skilled, and too keyed into a sort of Past Force Vision sense to make anyone comfortable. At eleven, she became a Padawan and forged her second lightsaber, to dual wield at her Master’s suggestion for a challenge. At fifteen, she was grouped into the Jedi Assault Team for Geonosis and watched Jango Fett (the last True Mandalorian, legacy of Jaster Mereel, and her Manda’lor) die by Mace Windu’s hand. Her history died and she blamed herself. Only a few months later her Master, Leska, died during the Battle of Jabiim, along with most of their Clone Troopers and 26 other Jedi overall, leaving Solus to snatch a barely there victory from the jaws of defeat.

Lumi was born in a very Hutt Cartel controlled region of Ryloth. Her father was a Lethan Twi’lek slave and her mother his half-Sephi, half-Rutian Twi’lek master. Because of his misstep of “seducing” her mother, her father was executed, then some months later her mother died in childbirth. By age three, she knew was considered weird among her family and often ignored, due to her innate talents with Shatterpoints and reading everything. It was only a matter of when, not if, they would grow tired of her and make a lot of quick credits. The Jedi Order was a blessing and a curse. They had no idea how to handle her fear and anger but Mace Windu helped. Her understood her Shatterpoints and her feelings and helped so much. At age 11, he became her Master and at 15, the reason she was on Geonosis. Seeing him kill Jango Fett, feeling the reactions of everyone around her (Solus screaming in unimaginable pain like death and Boba wailing) changed her opinions. Their slave army, her repeated trips to Ryloth, and her Master’s devotion to the Republic made life difficult.

Jazari was born on Jedha, in the capital city even. Her mother was on an extended pilgrimage from Mirial to Jedha to see the Kyber Temple while her father was a mechanic and native. Early on her mother left (she has no memories of her) but she grew up with her father. He died when she three leaving her an orphan. Until a Jedi could be dispatched to bring her to the Temple she lived with Guardians and was sad to leave them. Her life could’ve been idyllic among the Jedi except she favored tech to people and she befriended outcasts, Solus, Lumi, and Kamelia. At 12, she became a Padawan to Arligan Zey exposing her to fantastic master but also to the underbelly of the Galaxy within Intel. At 16, she helped run back end operations for Geonosis spending many agonizing hours waiting to hear who lived and who died. From there, she was tossed headlong into the war rarely to the front lines but always analyzing data, holed up in Arca Company Barracks and within the Special Operations Brigade. Included in her tasks was making judgement calls that the many outweighed the few…something she absolutely loathed. They were out there dying as she stayed on Coruscant safe.

Kamelia was given to the Jedi Order as an infant. Everything about her life should’e been cookie cutter perfect within the Temple walls. She was never the outsider in terms of age or life experiences. Her touch of Force Visions and quick skills should’ve made her a shoe in to make friends. Instead, she stayed isolated because of her preoccupation with the Future instead of the Now. As that dividing line grew wider her age-mates’ tolerances of her attitudes grew thinner. She was a teacher’s pet of sorts, a bit of a tattletale, and socially awkward leading to her being teased. Accepting Solus’ offer of friendship, with Lumi and Jazari as well, cemented her Outsider status. It was difficult but not impossible until her friends, the ones who were always ranked beneath her in a way, shot forward into Padawanship…while she did not. It created a rift between her and her only friends. They were always away on missions while she stayed back…waiting. By 15.5 she became a Padawn, finally, when she was assigned to a Master. The fear of being sent to the Service Corps or ousted from the only home she had ever known, because of failure, weighed on her. The other three at least knew a life outside the Temple. The Clone Wars only touched her life in abstract ways. She was never assigned to the fronts, never left the Halls of Healing (exactly where she wanted to be), and never feared really. Until, Solus was assigned there to study (after Leska’s death for the 3 months it took Master Fisto to claim her) challenging Kamelia’s barely held on grip to “I am worth something” because her former friend was moving into her skill set better than her.

[neighbor-necro]

You guys get it. I know when I was a kid under 13 and I saw TPM for the first time, I thought Jar Jar was hilarious. In the first Star Wars lego set I ever got, Jar Jar was one of the minifigures included. Then I got older and heard about the more fucked up behind-the-scenes shit surrounding Jar Jar which made him a lot less cool as opposed to someone like Grievous.

But Jar Jar is definitely still special in the way he’s written because he’s just allowed to exist and do his thing even if no one in or out of universe likes it all that much. But that’s also complimented well by the fact that in TCW in particular, Jar Jar is always just trying to be a nice person. It just hardly ever comes across correctly to other characters because he does it in his own weird and clumsy way. He saves Padme from both execution and drowning, he stalls for time pretty well against both the trade federation and Grievous, and of course helps Mace Windu track down and defeat Mother Talzin. And he only ever does things because he’s asked or it’s the right thing to do. I can’t ever remember seeing Jar Jar being angry or actively malicious. (Which is why I hate the “Darth Jar Jar” theory because it feels like everyone who talks about it only ever watched Star Wars content muted at .25x speed.)

The worst thing he’s ever done is initiate the vote to give Palpatine emergency powers. But since no one could see the path they were taking to space fascism, that could’ve easily been anyone else in the senate especially since the yay vote won. Yoda calls the future clouded for a reason. Jar Jar has only ever tried to do his best to be kind and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. I completely understand how he’s annoying and it’s fine to dislike seeing him for that reason, but if the thought ever crosses your mind, please try to be more like Jar Jar and don’t send people hate mail.

I am a bit surprised at your tags saying you like jar jar, I don't really know anybody who's a fan in 2023. What's the appeal there, would you say?

Did people like JarJar more in the past? I remember when the prequels were new, his poor actor almost died from the harassment. Surely the venom against JarJar has only weakened.

But mmmmm...I guess what I enjoy about JarJar is he just. He sucks so bad. Nobody has any use for him. He's not just bad at emergencies and space and knowing you have to pay for food, he's not even good at Gungan-ing.

But he's just kinda allowed to be like that. He's there. The other protagonists are varying levels of Ugh Why but they don't try to solve him. He gets Recognition From His People at the end of TPM and fails his way upward in galactic politics and has good intentions and tries sincerely and fucks up so so bad, and is dumb as hell.

He doesn't get punished by the story for being a loser. He's allowed.

That's what made so many people so mad at him back when, and I do get it because any scene he's in is hard to take seriously, he's walking bathos, he's like Original Swamp Yoda without the redeeming kung fu drama. But also wow yikes no.

Let me sit with this a bit and let me see if I can turn this vibe into words better.

Like @husborth was totally correct in saying the whole Gungan plotline was a waste of screentime, a fun little excuse plot allowed to run riot due to unchecked directorial hubris, and contributed to the prequel films being atrociously paced pieces of cinema. But (somewhat consequently) there's something luxurious about JarJar Binks being allowed to go around existing so much, something I think is prototypical of the whole prequel tone and its contrast to the snappy war-film energy of the original trilogy in a way that...really works to create the atmospheric contrast between life in the Republic and life under the Empire.

The Republic was a bloated ancient mess of a government riddled with corruptions, and badly out-of-whack power balances and decayed support nets that weren't technically corruption but weren't working well either, and inefficiency.

And also what the fascists like to call decadence. You know?

Like one of the consequences of having a tolerant diverse society is that even when poorly run and afflicted with capitalism it is going to be full of fantastically annoying weirdos who don't have anything better to do than embarrass people by talking, and there's nothing to be done about that that morally can be. You can't Force Choke people for annoying and have a free society. We all gotta make our peace with the fact that JarJar Binks has every right to exist.

Not that JarJar Binks is necessary to any specific piece of media. I am not advocating for annoying gag sidekicks in general. But I am saying that JarJar Binks is metaphorically inevitable, whenever people are allowed to just kinda be.

So his presence on some level feels political to me, inasmuch as Star Wars are actually political films at all, which isn't very much. But definitely not none either!

Also I am old enough to have grown less susceptible to secondhand embarrassment so I am able to forgive JarJar his cringe. He can still be a little painful to watch! But I do like that he's there.

[beatrice-otter]

Bail Organa notfic

I love a good Star Wars time-travel AU, but I do sigh sometimes about how repetitive they are.  (This is one of the reasons I started Past Lives.)  I mean, with AAAALLLL  the characters there are in Star Wars, why is it only Obi-Wan and Anakin who end up going back in time, with the occasional time-traveling Luke thrown in?  Why not any others?  Why not Dooku, out for revenge against Palpatine for having him killed?  Why not Leia?  Or Lando and Han?  Or Yoda? I was contemplating this, after Rogue One, and I thought, WHY NOT BAIL? Bail knows what the Death Star is, and the Death Star didn't shoot immediately after it came out of hyperspace.  It came out and hung there, while Leia was brought from the detention block, while Tarkin tried (and failed) to manipulate her. Alderaani Space Control called the palace to tell them that something HUGE--the size of a small moon--had just appeared in the skies over the planet.  It wasn't quite visible from the palace yet, but would be coming around the curve of the planet in roughly fifteen minutes. Bail asked Breha to give the order to evacuate.  (Of course she knew of the Death Star, what it was and what it could do.  She was his Queen and his wife, and he had no secrets from her.  In the Rebellion as in all things, he was her eyes and ears and hands.)  "No," she said.  "There isn't time.  If they mean to shoot, they'll do it immediately, and no one will get out alive.  But they may not mean to destroy us.  They may be testing us.  If they see we evacuate, they'll know that we know what that thing is--and they'll shoot.  But if we do nothing, we may be able to bluff them." By the time the Death Star crested the horizon, the great dish on the side was beginning to glow.  Queen Breha gave the evacuation order, hoping at least someone would make it out, but it was too late for anyone in the palace, and they both knew it.  They held each other and waited to become one with the Force. Bail woke up in a familiar office on Coruscant.  This was unexpected.  The Alderaani didn't believe in heaven or hell or any kind of afterlife except the Force, and even if they did, his old Senatorial office would have been neither.  He was sitting at his desk staring out at the Coruscant skyline.  Someone clears their throat and asks for Senator Antilles.  He almost doesn't respond; it's been three decades since his name was Antilles.  And he's too confused, wondering what the hell has happened and where Breha is. But the person asks again, and he turns.  It's his old aide, who resigned in protest after the Empire was declared, who joined a peaceful protest march and was gunned down in the street.  Zie is trying to tell him that the Trade Federation has just begun a "peaceful" blockade of Naboo in the Chommell Sector. Bail stares.  Maybe this is Hell, if he's going to have to relive all of this.  Maybe he's crazy. His aide notices and asks if he's all right. No.  He is not all right. She calls for a med droid; there's always several on call in the Senate building.  It comes and examines him and pronounces him perfectly fine except for elevated stress levels.  (He looks in a mirror and is startled to see how young he looks.) The examination gives him time to think.  If he is hallucinating, or in some kind of hell, nothing he does matters.  If this is some sort of Imperial trick, he has no clue what they might hope to get out of this.  If they could convince him it was later, during the early Imperial days, they might be able to get him to give up some of the details of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, but now?  A decade before the beginning of the Clone Wars?  But if he has somehow gone back in time, can he change things? He has to try.  The question is, how?  Palpatine-the-Sith is definitely something for the Jedi to deal with, but at this point he has no contacts in the Jedi, and (unless you have a personal friend in the Order) official contact between the Senate and the Jedi is closely monitored both officially and by your fellow senators who want to make sure you don't persuade the Jedi to intervene on your side in any particular matter.  Palpatine would be sure to hear of it. But Palpatine isn't the Chancellor yet.  And if Bail can block him, even if only temporarily, he'll have some breathing room to work. Last time around, Bail and three-quarters of the Senate had been caught completely off-guard by the blockade and then invasion of Naboo.  It had seemed to come out of nowhere, unimaginable before it happened. The vote of no-confidence had been predicted, but not that the new election would go to a then-nobody like Palpatine. This time around, Bail knows it's coming.  This time around, Bail can be prepared.  This time around, Bail knows who his supporters are and who Palpatine's supporters are, and where all the bodies will be buried and the weak points will be found.  This time around, Bail knows what's at stake, and is willing to get his hands dirty in ways he never would have the first time around. Bail calls his staff in, and they have a council of war.  They start arranging meetings, and a whisper campain among the other aides. To some people, Bail commiserates about how awful the situation is and don't they feel scared it could happen to them, and gee, Palpatine's negotiations with the Trade Federation went particularly badly--he's not a very good politician, is he? To some people, Bail points out that if the Trade Federation is willing to trample a thousand generations of history like this, who knows what they'll do?  It's out of character for them, and that's bad for business.  Do you really want to be their ally? (For some people, Bail arranges for accidents or poisonings for the day of, so that they will not be present to influence their hangers-on.  Nothing fatal--that would raise too many red flags.  But food poisoning and slight colds ... those can easily pass unnoticed.  The first time around, Bail would have been apalled at the very idea, and had no clue how to arrange it.  Now ... now Bail has done worse things at lesser need, and knows exactly how to arrange it, even though it is an extra hassle to have to do it without his staff knowing.) And it works.  Despite a much stronger showing than everyone except Bail and Palpatine expected, Palpatine falls just short of the number needed to be elected.  Bail wins.  And the day after he is installed, Bail invites the Jedi Council to meet him, sweeps his office for bugs, and tells them the shape of what he lived through.  Most are incredulous.  Mace Windu just stares at him and says, "So that's what's been happening recently.  I have rarely seen a shatterpoint so large--and never one I didn't see until after the fact." The Jedi deal with Palpatine.  Bail starts to slowly, methodically, reform the loopholes and corruptions that Palpatine had used to such effect.  There is no Clone War. He has only two regrets.  The Queen of Alderaan could never marry a man who outranked her.  Breha marrries someone else.  And his precious Leia has no need of anyone to adopt her. comments Comment? http://ift.tt/2jzTPFj

[gffa]

Hello there :) I was browsing around your ginormous tumblr and really I cannot thank you enough for all your wonderful metas that help me find the right words. I admire the Jedi culture that nurture serenity and mastery of self and often find myself at odds with other SW fans who spit on them!

I was going to write another “yeah, it took a long time to get here, it’s still pretty hard sometimes to deal with the way fandom expresses itself at times, but now we have a better buffer, so I’m glad for that” post and realized you guys are probably tired of hearing about that.  ;)SO INSTEAD, EVERY TIME I GET A “hey, I appreciate that you say nice things about the Jedi” I’M GOING TO SAY MORE NICE THINGS ABOUT THE JEDI/A JEDI IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE I LOVE THEM A LOT.TODAY’S JEDI I LOVE:  MACE WINDU(Ha ha, I say today like this isn’t an Every Day Mace Windu Deserved Better blog.)Do you know what two of my favorite moments are?  One is from the Jedi of the Republic comic, where Prosset Dibs has just tried to kill Mace, who has fallen to the dark side, is ranting about how he’ll dance on their graves, and Mace reacts to him with nothing but compassion.To say that Prosset is a victim of this terrible conflict they find themselves in.  To say that he votes for his punishment to be to work in the library, where he’ll be free to continue say whatever he wants to say.  To say that Prosset is valuable to them.  To say that he’s confused and angry, both valid emotions.  That it’s their duty to help him through this.

He even goes so far as to what seems like he’s bowing to Prosset, showing that he still cares about this person, despite the attempted murder, despite the vicious ranting he’d just sincerely expressed.This entire comic is about Mace struggling with what the Jedi’s path is, that ultimately they can’t stand by and not fight against evil, even when it’s a dangerous path for them, given their position and their abilities.  That the galaxy is worth fighting for.The comic is entirely about Mace’s own struggle with his anger, that he’s been taught–and in turn teaches–that it’s a valuable emotion, but it needs to be tempered, it needs to not be seized on.  That he’s not perfect at that when he’s younger, even as an adult he still has to face it sometimes, but that he works through it and keeps finding compassion for others.  That he’s a Jedi through and through because of it.My other favorite is from the Star Wars Adventures comic, where Mace runs into a young Twi’lek girl in trouble and so he jumps down to help her.She’s not used to people helping her, so Mace treats her kindly, smiles at her, is warm with her, because he can help her today, so he does.

“But you’re a Jedi, and I’m just a worthless–”“No, you’re not.  "Everyone thinks I am.”"Then everyone is wrong.  But not everyone thinks it.  I don’t.  Listen, everyone needs help now and then.  Everyone.“MACE WINDU IS GOOD WITH KIDS, I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.  He’s not the type given to silliness, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t exude warmth and that he never smiles, of course he does.That he helps where he can and accepts help in return when someone else can offer it to him, that if a Jedi has worth in this little girl’s eyes, well, then he’ll use that to turn around and tell her that she has worth, too, in a way that makes an impact on her.I LOVE HIM A LOT AND MACE WINDU DESERVES THE ENTIRE GALAXY