#taliesin croft

[b-radley66]

A little fix-it when a part in my Clone Wars fic The Strangers Shall Swallow It Up, specifically Chapters 13&14 that got mildly Filoni-d in the last episode of The Bad Batch, about Gungi and his lightsaber. Enjoy!

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Cartoon) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ahsoka Tano/Original Character (implied), Lassa Rhayme/Ahsoka Tano Characters: Ahsoka Tano (mentioned), Lassa Rhayme, Gungi, San Adis (Original Character), Taliesin Croft | Bryne Covenant | Jame Blackthorn | Tempest (Original Character) Additional Tags: Loss, Family, Jedi as Found Family (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Canon Compliant, Canon Fix-it of my own ‘verse, Bad Batch 2X06 Tribe Series: Part 49 of Fulcrum and Covenant: Genesis Summary:

Post Order 66, a master reconsiders a decision made about his padawan. With a little help from his pirate friends.

[greylunar]

Sorry there have not been many asks answered from me/I haven’t been that active on here lately, I thought about Jaskier from the Witcher so hard that my brain powered off for two weeks 😔

[the-punslinger]

Critical Role Quotes and Memorable Moments - Campaign 2 (87/?)

[About Fjord's new door spell] Veth: "When did that happen? How did you get that?" Fjord: "I just woke up with it."

Fjord: “Team Firestorm, when you get in that hallway and there are three guards or at least two posted up at either, your plan is to…? Caleb: “Fuck them up!” Jester: “I am going to try to charm the shit out of them.” Caleb: "”Fuck them up with charm.”

The team names turning into team Innie and Outie

Laura: "I'll go pick up the crushed ball body at the end of the hallway and move him into the room" Matt: "You katamari it over. Scraping and leaving a trail on the stone floor, you push one over into it. It's like building the worst snowman." Taliesin: "It takes three guards to make a snowman. You need one more."

Jester [screaming]: "I'm here with a murderer!" [runs at guard with bloody arms outstretched]

Beau sloooowly killing a guard with acid after a long premeditation

[Beau making gestures of alarms and wooping to signal detection] Travis: "it's the sound of the police!"

Beau: "Right! Some of Nott's best moments were when she was trashed." Jester: "No, that's not true, Nott..." Veth: "No, I'm worthless without alcohol, thank you for pointing that out."

Fjord: "You can't backtrace a message spell, right?" Matt: "Make an arcana check." Fjord: "You're asking the sailor?" [Rolls a natural 1] Liam: "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

[Fjord sneaking in undercover at the Lavish Chateau and pretending to be a busboy] Carlos: "I’m responsible for all the hires of the establishment, I have not met you before. If you are going--" Fjord: "Right, right" Carlos: "I need you to leave." Sam: "Just some weirdo who started busing tables." Carlos: "Yeah, this dude just walks in he starts cleaning tables and taking shit." Liam: "Did you even fill out the application?" Fjord: "Are you hiring?" Carlos: "What? Not anymore, you can't just walk into an establishment and start pretending like you work there! Who do you think you are, Steven Spielberg?"

[Caleb rolling a natural 20 counterspelling Trent’s natural 20 counterspelling Jester’s Word of Recall] Sam: “I think we broke Dungeons & Dragons.” Marisha: “I think we have to restart the game.”

Matt: “Utilizing foot plants against the sides of the somewhat rusted iron exterior, you can get just enough traction, using dope monk shit, just darting up the side, grabbing, and spin over the top as you do this slow motion handstand over looking the pointed tops of it." Marisha: "Very Lara Croft." Matt: "Yeah."

Matt [describing an iron fence with pointed tops]: "...or, as I call them, poodle 'palers. The pointed tops of--" Travis: "Is that what they're called?" Matt: "That's what my mom called them. She's dark." Liam: "Now I understand that half of your personality."

[As Trent messages Caleb after the heist] Jester: “Is he using all of the 25 words? He’s really wasting some spells there.”

[sl-walker]

For the ask game:

🤡 and 😈!

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Many times. LOL! This entire chapter of Blackbirds: Year One.

Then this scene from a similar spot:

Now, after-- he wasn't sure how many bottles, Maul was not thinking about the ingredients or anything but maybe getting horizontal, though he was also absolutely certain he wanted to make sure his squad was safe and not off getting into any kind of trouble. He was also mildly but genuinely concerned that if he tried to walk anywhere, he might not be able to. Or, at least, not upright. If his legs wanted to work at all; they could get unreliable if he was impaired enough and now he was definitely impaired enough.

A flash of beard and robes in his peripheral (also unreliable) vision was a relief, and Maul pressed his shoulder over against Obi-Wan's, thinking that the Jedi was probably back from all of his socializing--

--except, it wasn't Obi-Wan.

General Taliesin Croft looked back at him, mouth hanging open; at least, Maul thought it seemed to be hanging open, it was hard to tell with all of that hair around it.

They stared at one another for a long moment, blinking, then Maul made to stop leaning and achieve a vertical orientation, but one of his feet refused to move and the next thing he knew, the Jedi was holding him up and he was practically face-planted in the beard, fingers curled into Croft's robes and the empty bottle he had been holding lost between his stumble and his being caught.

Somewhere in Maul's alcohol-soaked mind, he thought this was probably terribly awkward, but he wasn't sure enough to say that.

Croft didn't drop him, though, just asked with a kind of amused tone, "You okay, lieutenant?"

Maul went to say that he was fine, except he would very much like to go lay down, but instead, he looked up into the Jedi's green eyes and asked, very carefully and seriously, "How do you keep food out of all of that hair when you eat?"

"'Scuse us, general," Shiv's voice broke in, also amused, and Maul found himself pried off of the Jedi; he reeled a little bit, but Shiv got under his arm on one side, and Tally appeared on the other. "Sorry about that, we'll handle this."

Croft huffed a laugh. "Uh-- not a problem."

Maul went to ask again, perhaps with more elaboration, but by then, Shiv and Tally were steering him away. Or dragging him. He couldn't be sure, he couldn't feel his legs, and he might have worried about that more, but he had his Blackbirds and they wouldn't let him fall, he was sure, and so instead he leaned his spinning head over and not-whispered, "Flavor saver," to Shiv, before breaking down into uncontrollable laughter.

He was still giggling helplessly when they gave up trying to get him to walk and Shiv just picked him up. Though, he didn't remember any of the rest of the trip after.

--

That's just a couple.

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

You know-- there probably has been, but damned if I can remember any time it was deliberate? <3

[dry-valleys]

Y wal deg a weli di, Da dyddyn o doidn iddi, A’r gaer eglur ar greiglofft A’r garreg rudd ar gwr grofft, Hon yw Cruciaith a’l gawaith gwiw, Hen adail hanno ydiw.

The fair wall which you see, A good dwelling to come to, and the bright fort high on a rock, and the red stone on the edge of a croft, this is Criccieth and its new work, an old edifice that is. Iolo Goch.

At Criccieth Castle, at a site first recorded in history in 1239 as a stronghold of Llewellyn ab Iorweth, who staked his claim to be ruler of Gwynedd and is believed to have ordered the construction slightly before this date. (It’s believed that (5) is a remnant of the original construction).

Criccieth was chosen for its location on what is now the Wales Coastal Path, commanding a large stretch of coast with links to Ireland and with its height easy to identify and fight off attackers, now presenting a wonderful view from (1) Black Rock Sands  and the perfect spot for Llewellyn’s garrison to stamp his claim on the surrounding lands. 

Llewellyn, a skilled politician and ruler, was no stranger to the English who by this time were claiming to be overlords, and at one stage worked in tandem with English King John, who acknowledged his claims as ruler of Gwynedd and allowed him to marry his illegitimate daughter Joan.

Although John turned against Llewellyn, his early victories didn’t lead to a crushing of Llewellyn's power as he’s hoped, because he became bogged down in problems in England which culminated in his being forced to sign Magna Carta in 1215. In fact, furthering the theme of Anglo-Norman-Welsh ties being strong, Criccieth strongly resembles Beeston Castle, built by Llewellyn’s ally Ranulf de Blundeville just before Criccieth, in 1225.

Criccieth was this already established by the time Edward I of England claimed his suzerainty over the area. Although Llewellyn ap Gruffudd, grandson to Llewellyn ab Iorweth, had reached peace with Edward’s father Henry III, based on acknowledgement of Henry’s overlordship and Henry’s acknowledgement of Llewellyn ap Gruffudd’s status as prince of Wales, there were repeated conflicts leading to Edward invading Wales and the death of Llewellyn ap Gruffudd in battle in 1282.

A rebellion in 1294, led by Madog ap Llewellyn (a distant cousin of Llewellyn ap Gruffudd), was defeated and the siege of Criccieth failed, whereupon Edward began to use the castle to hold prisoners from his Scottish campaigns (since bastardised and lied about by Hollywood filmmakers), a fact that is unpleasant to some but reinforces the fact that the kingdoms were being more intertwined, and a few decades later Hywel y Fywall was appointed constable.

Hywel, a local hero, showed that Welshmen could be placed in positions of trust by the Anglo-Norman rulers, having earned the gratitude of Edward III by fighting alongside him at Poitiers. This continued the process of integration, much to the chagrin of Owen Glyndower who during his great rebellion captured Criccieth.

Although Glendower was defeated, the late 14th century flowering of Criccieth was over and it fell into decline as the Tudor kings quietened the area. In 1535 John Leland reported “There hath beene a franchisd toune, now clene decayed”.

Although Criccieth attracted artists like (2) JMW Turner, 1835, little was done with the site until it was sold by the crown to local landowner William Ormsby-Gore in 1858. His grandson Lord Harlech placed the site in state care in 1933 and, now cared for by CADW, as I sat at Criccieth I was inexorably reminded of what Taliesin foresaw for our two kingdoms. Was it fulfilled when a Welshman came to the throne in 1485 or are we still waiting for it...

Their Lord they will praise, Their speech they will keep, Their land they will lose,   Except wild Wales.

Till some change shall come, After long penance, When equally rife   The two crimes come.

Britons then shall have Their land and their crown, And the stranger swarm   Shall disappear. 

All the angel's words, As to peace and war, Will be fulfilled   To Britain's race.

[b-radley66]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Shaak Ti & Original Character(s) Characters: Shaak Ti, Jame Blackthorn | Bryne Covenant | Taliesin Croft (Original Character) Additional Tags: Not your usual Jedi platitude, Teacher-Student Relationship, life-lessons, Drabble Series: Part 21 of Diana's Journeys Summary:

Not a standard-issue Jedi master.

[b-radley66]

More revising. This is, I admit, my favorite of The Minstrel Boy series, with its changing dynamic, emotions—almost a respite from the war, but with some action and plot tying in. 

Plus, Lassa Rhayme and her pirates.

Chapters: 12/12 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ahsoka Tano/Original Character(s), Shaak Ti/Original Characters, Original Character/Original Character, Ahsoka Tano/Barriss Offee (referenced) Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Shaak Ti, Yoda, Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, Asajj Ventress, Latts Razzi, Gungi (Star Wars), Lassa Rhayme, Dani Faygan (original character), Drop (Null-13) Original Character, Elle Jaquindo (Original Character), Draq' Bel Iblis (original character), Original Characters, Lok Durd, Bryne Covenant|Taliesin Croft (Original Character), Plo Koon, Katooni (Star Wars), Wullf Yularen, Cikatro Vizago, Nola Vorserrie (Original Character) Additional Tags: Anger, Angst, Changing Relationships, Healing, Love, Growing Darkness, learning, Growth, Espionage, War, Adult Situations and Language, Canon Compliant Series: Part 5 of The Minstrel Boy Summary:

In the final year before Order 66, the Jedi Order copes with the growing darkness, beginning with the trial of Ahsoka Tano. Individual Jedi, GAR troopers, and ordinary inhabitants of the Galaxy deal with the darkness as best as they can.

A Jedi Knight questions his remaining in the Order, even as he struggles to teach his own Padawan in a difficult undercover assignment. A former Padawan finds her way in the galaxy. A pirate looks at her beliefs in who she trusts. A young Naboo handmaiden-in-training discovers reserves of courage and strength that she didn't think she possessed. A former Sith acolyte finds a bit more of the light.

All amongst the backdrop of the cauldron of the final year of the Republic, as well as growth and a changing relationship.

[b-radley66]

More revising and editing; fixing the timelines and contractions. A bit more of the stuff that I’ve learned in the last two and a half years of writing fiction.

Chapters: 16/16 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Shaak Ti, Ahsoka Tano, CC-5576-39 | Gregor, Yoda, Alpha-17, Original Characters, Lama Su, CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, Vokara Che, Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Fenn Shysa, Fenn Rau Additional Tags: War, Brotherhood, Love, Teacher-Student Relationship, Growth, Angst, Canon Compliant Series: Part 2 of The Minstrel Boy Summary:

A look at the earliest days of the Clone Wars, through the eyes of lesser known Jedi, Padawans and clones. A search for answers to a growing conspiracy, as well as learning to fight a new kind of war. All while the Jedi are reeling from the growing darkness.

[b-radley66]

The third story in The Minstrel Boy series. More revising, using what I’ve learned, as well as clarifying the timeline a bit. Halfway through the series.

Oh, and contractions.

This is one part of campaign; not shown in the TCW. Takes place a couple of months or so after Ahsoka is apprenticed to Anakin.

Chapters: 12/12 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Shaak Ti, Ahsoka Tano, CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, CC-5576-39 | Gregor, Alpha-17, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maz Kanata, Oppo Rancisis, Adi Gallia, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Eeth Koth, Vokara Che Additional Tags: War, Brotherhood, Angst, Growth Series: Part 3 of The Minstrel Boy Summary:

The Clone War has been going on for several months with mixed results for the Republic, the Jedi Order, and the clones of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Republic has engaged in a planet-hopping campaign, attempting to consolidate trade routes and critical resource planets.

A look at one of these unknown campaigns - a campaign symbolic of the overall suffering and destruction of the War.

[b-radley66]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Shaak Ti & Original Character(s) Characters: Shaak Ti, Jame Blackthorn | Bryne Covenant | Taliesin Croft (Original Character) Additional Tags: Not your usual Jedi platitude, Teacher-Student Relationship, life-lessons, Drabble Series: Part 21 of Diana's Journeys Summary:

Not a standard-issue Jedi master.

[b-radley66]

Croft (Blackthorn) in a nutshell:

<i>Okay, in a life of really stupid-ass decisions, this one may take the cake</i>, Blackthorn thinks as he finds himself without Force-sense, mid-jump. <i>No. The bubble bath with the Falleen prince might still be the winner.</i>

[b-radley66]

Chapters: 20/24 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ahsoka Tano/Original Character(s), Shaak Ti/Original Character(s), Original Characters/Original Characters Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Shaak Ti, Lassa Rhayme, R7-A7 (Star Wars), Darth Vader (cameo), Sheev Palpatine (cameo), Obi-Wan Kenobi (cameo), Bendu (Star Wars) (cameo), Jame Blackthorn | Bryne Covenant | Taliesin Croft (Original Character), Dani Faygan (original character), Nola Vorserrie (Original Character), Meglann Florlin (Original Character), Thyla Secura (Original Character), Phygus Baldrick | Touchstone (Original Character), Ano Lessi (Original Character) Additional Tags: Grief/Mourning, letting go of the past, Healing, That is how the Force Works, Force Weirdness, Friendship, Love, The Force Unleashed—sort of, Recovered Memories, Families of Choice, Canon-Typical Violence, Adult Content Series: Part 28 of Rise and Fight Again Summary:

Ahsoka Tano must return to Felucia to investigate sightings of a Jedi thought dead in the Cataclysm of Order 66—a Jedi who had once mentored both her and her hunt-brother, Bryne Covenant. She races against time, as Covenant has fallen into the remnants of his Force-sense with visions of his late Master, Shaak Ti.

As she moves deeper into the mystery, she must fight her grief and memories of her own powerful Master, Anakin Skywalker. At the heart of the mystery, she will be tested as she fights the darkness brought on by a long lost artifact.

[b-radley66]

Preview and Lines I Loved Writing

Shaak Ti moves her padawan’s arm tighter across her shoulders as she pulls him away from the newly-formed pit—the pit where Lorhena Marek had last been seen. The place where the other Jedi Master had finally learned what it had meant to serve others, rather than her own ambition. Shaak suspects that Lorhena had already known how, based on the visions of the small child at her breast—a forbidden attachment, but one that had probably taught her fellow youngling, initiate, and padawan compassion.

She cautiously opens her Force-sense in an attempt to find the presence that had very nearly claimed Taliesin Croft’s soul for its own. A presence that had forced them both to move between the light and the dark.

She senses that both she and Tal had left something—some tiny aspect of themselves with Marek and the presence. Only time will tell what those somethings will be, or what affect their loss will have on them both.

Shaak feels nothing.

Only pain from the young man on her arm. Pain and self-loathing as he reflects on his part in her near-death. Of his responsibility, for yet another mistake.

One that she doesn’t consider a mistake at all. If it was, then all children would constantly disappoint their parents.

Someday, when he has a padawan of his own, she hopes that he will see that the good parents, or masters, are never disappointed. Only constantly striving to teach and to love. She knows that he has taken to heart all of the whispers about her skills; that this will be a burden he will bear throughout his apprenticeship, trying to live up to his own standards of being a padawan. Of not having to be rescued, either from his tongue or an actual threat.

Shaak stops, feeling the tears of pride and love spilling down her cheeks. She will never begrudge how many times she has to save him.

None will ever equal what she knows to be true in her heart of hearts.

That he had saved her after her losses. She closes her eyes against the memories of Atti and Fe Sun.

She lets the tears flow, dotting the shoulder of his robe.

[b-radley66]

Reblogging this great cover art by @rebekahs-art with the link to the first chapter.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817797/chapters/42039317

[b-radley66]

More revision and editing; a blast from the past.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ahsoka Tano/Original Character(s), Original Characters/Original Characters Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Mon Mothma, Lassa Rhayme, Jame Blackthorn|Bryne Covenant|Taliesin Croft (Original Character), Dani Faygan (original character), Original Characters, Jan Dodonna Additional Tags: Love, Beginnings, Bittersweet moment of triumph, Rebellion, Family, Ahsoka Tano Lives, Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Mild spoilers for The Secret Cargo Series: Part 43 of Rise and Fight Again Summary:

'The' Meeting through the eyes of those who remember a woman who helped make it possible.

[b-radley66]

Another Favorite Bit of Writing

From a story posting in a few months. Some may recognize the POV

The Mother lies her head back as her cub walks into the cave. A cave located near what the hunters call Mehele’s Drift. A cave that seems to be out of time; where most of her kind, one of two apex predators on this world, avoid.

A place where she had been welcomed by another predator—a huntress who had gained her trust seasons ago, by merely reaching out with her mind.

A mind filled with grief and pain; the loss of her mind-cubs; her padawans in the parlance of her wizard-kind.

She looks up into the eyes of her cub, his eyes the color of the deep lakes, mixed with the color of her fur. His own fur thick and gray.

He mournfully licks her muzzle. She responds with a cuff to his from her weakened front paw. A cuff with no claws, only lessons. He touches his muzzle to hers.

She knows that this cub, her pride and joy, with cubs of his own, is a close avatar to the mind-cub that her huntress had finally raised to adulthood. A strong hunter; not of the huntress’s kind, but with her own pride and joy in the Hunt.

The Mother knows that her huntress’s spirit had left this plane several seasons ago; had joined her ancestors on the Eternal Hunt, when her kind—the wizards—had been slaughtered. The same time that the hunter-cub had returned with his fur more closely resembling that of her cub—the color of his tempered knife-blade. The cub had returned with many scars both inside and out. She knows that he had managed to touch the mind of her cub; he and another, younger huntress. One who had born her own scars and pain when they touched. One who had joined with the cub during an entire moon’s stay on the Plains. In this very cave, as well as under the stars. Their playful laughter and skillful sparring, along with the cries of those joinings, had eased many of their pains and burdens, if not all of them, in addition to interrupting her sleep and her cub’s hunts.

The Mother lies back. She had thought that this was her time. That she could lay down her own burdens. The burdens of the memories of cubs and even useless mates that she had outlasted. She had thought that she could join her huntress in the Eternal Hunt. She had felt her body weakening over the last days-into-nights.

That had been before she had felt the essence of her huntress in her mind. A touch she had felt she would never feel again; when she had felt the huntress die on a distant watery world, her cub holding her against the night.

She looks up at her own cub—her own heart. She rests, but feels her strength rallying, if only to see what this spirit-return might mean. As she closes her eyes to rest; she sees the huntress. She realize that she is seeing the huntress through two different sets of eyes.

The eyes of her cub, as well as the eyes of the female of yet another species. A woman with a slightly different hue of skin from the huntress, with brown and blue fur.

A young woman who had looked at the huntress with such love as they bound each other’s hands with pure cloth, in a ritual not of this world.

Only scant days before the mother had felt the huntress join the Eternal Hunt.

The Mother opens her mind to both visions.