#the ahsoka once is perhaps more canon-based

[materassassino]

8, 13

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I claw my eyes out every fucking time I see the "Uncle Owen was abusive!" take because WHERE??? TEXTUALLY, WHERE??? The idea that a gruff farmer who encourages his nephew to both be responsible (chores before Tosche Station) and is also TRYING TO KEEP HIM SAFE FROM THE MURDEROUS EMPIRE is automatically physically or emotionally abusive is just... You People Do No Know How Farms Work.

Also uwu soft boy Din Djarin. Man kills people constantly. He only, canonically, gives a shit about his son, and that's it.

13. worst blorboficiation

Here's a question: does this mean the same as woobification? I genuinely don't know.

Anyway, both Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng. But especially Jiang Cheng. JGY people completely ignore the fact he has, absolutely, done some heinous things (including killing his own son or at least having him killed - I've seen people justify it). JC people have the world's biggest hateboner for WWX, they literally think he should have died of starvation on the streets as a child because then at least JC would have his father's attention. They act as if the story is JC's and WWX is stealing his spotlight, and WWX should grovel more at Madam Yu's feet (which, like... fuck Madam Yu but that's for another day).

Also Ahsoka Tano. She was cool in TCW but man Dave Filoni blorboified his own OC into a borderline Mary Sue. Her constant presence in everything and perfect perfectness is grating on me.

🔥choose violence ask game🔥

[tatooinebarnes]

As It Was - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Part 1)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Gender Neutral Original Character

Read on AO3

Word Count: 10.5k

Warnings: cursing, canon typical violence

Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cecil Palmarin have known each other since childhood. and for as long as they can remember they've been pushing down the feelings of affection that always seem to be present between them. But war changes people. And war changes perceptions on what risks you're willing to take.

Gender Neutral Original Character written from their POV. No y/n. Minor allusions to OC presenting as/being socialized as fem. But mostly just their POV.

Asexual Spectrum OC and Obi-Wan

Begins in the Clone Wars, ends in A New Hope

Part 1 (Chapters 1-7)

CH. 1 - Home

Back-to-back with Obi-Wan while reflecting blaster shots had begun to feel like a familiar task, something I did as easy as lacing up my boots rather than a fight for my life. 

Perhaps it’s an exaggeration to say that we were fighting for our lives; this Separatist base was ill-prepared to deter the attack of two Jedi and a host of Republic forces and were all but holding the door open for us. The only reason Obi-wan and I were here was to assure that the intel we were seeking was delivered into the hands of the Jedi Council as quickly as possible. Frankly, we were unneeded. 

And I wished they had let us stay behind because the falling snow was already piling halfway up my shins and the temperature was steadily dropping as we ventured closer to the base’s main entrance. My hair had broken loose of its tie and was blowing wildly around my face being anything but helpful in deflecting blaster fire. I cursed myself for not making time to do up the braids again before this mission. 

The snow fell slowly, a thick blanket muffling the sounds of battle and making everything glow eerily under the blaze of our lightsabers.  Finally the blaster fire slowed and I could see our forces setting charges on the main doors. I lowered my saber, letting it fall to my side and click off, breathing hard. Obi-Wan did the same, pushing the long hair I had been begging him to let me trim out of his face. 

“Something is wrong,” Obi-Wan said suddenly, his body going rigid as he jumped back into a defensive stance. 

I reached out and could feel it too, a sudden shift in the Force, a dark presence that had been slyly concealing itself. At the same moment, the charges set on the base’s doors went off, spraying debris and clouding the air. Blaster fire emitted from the now gaping hole and as our own forces returned fire a red saber lit up within the smoke.

“Ventress,” I said definitely. It was rumored she was in this system but no one had thought she would be on this planet, let alone this little outpost. 

“Unfortunately,” Obi-Wan muttered, “this just got a whole lot more complicated.”

“You don’t say?” I said, rolling my eyes before refocusing on where Ventress’s slim figure was emerging from the cloud of debris. 

Even from afar, I could see Ventress was pink in the face and feel her aversion to this god-forsaken ice planet. Nobody wanted to be here, least of all the foreboding periwinkle woman. On that subject I agreed with her; this was far too cold a place to call inhabitable. 

“Cecil-” Obi-wan started, his tone annoyed.

“Don’t ‘Cecil’ me, Obi-Wan,” I said badly impersonating him, my own accent fading poorly when I tried to conceal it, “I am not Anakin. Or Ahsoka. You can’t scold me for sassing you. How many times must I remind you of that?”

“You are insufferable,” Obi-Wan said, humor creeping into his voice and he spared a glance at me, eyes crinkling. 

Ventress had spotted us almost immediately and I could feel her anger growing. I had crossed her path only once before and that occasion had resulted in the death of far too many clones and a saber burn across my forearms. But today, she was mad.  

She met us with smashing hacks, lightsaber crackling as anger rolled off her in waves, seething in a way that seemed to surprise even Obi-Wan. But he recovered quickly, easily retaliating against her attacks, the two of us soon gaining the upper hand. 

I had the feeling that the entire compound had stopped to watch; two Jedi carefully navigating an enraged Sith, all three stumbling through the growing snow drifts. The more we gained control the madder she became, her attacks sloppy but annoyingly effective. She was moving so fast that even with our combined attack everything was beginning to blur, only our trust in the Force keeping us from falling beneath the scarlet blade. But it was only a matter of time before one of us made a mistake. 

The first mistake was Ventress’s - leaving her side unguarded - earning her deep, sizzling mark from Obi-Wan. But the second mistake was mine - assuming that she would recoil instead of attack - a mistake which sent me flying across the compound, the smell of burning flesh accompanying me. 

“Cecil!” I heard Obi-Wan’s voice yell, but knew nothing else but a searing pain along my right side. 

–

I woke from the memory gasping, sitting up so fast I almost knocked my head on the bunk above me. Ahsoka was staring at me, bent to my level and grasping my hands.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice anxious.

Unconsciously I reached up to where what was left of my ear tingled, tracing the scar of the saber burn down my neck to where it disappeared beneath my tunic. My other hand automatically reached up to feel my other ear, as if it would disappear without my noticing.

“Another nightmare Master Palmarin?” 

“Yes,” I said, still unable to fully catch my breath and unwilling to lie to her, “the same one as always. I doubt it will ever go away.”

Her gaze softened, “It’s only been four and a half months. The burn is barely even healed.” 

I nodded but did not share her sentiment. A series of long soaks in a bacta tank had healed the wound enough that it did not hinder my movement much and I could hide that half my ear was missing, but the pink scar still stood out against my dark skin, painfully obvious anytime I caught a passing reflection of myself. I wondered if it would ever really fade to something that only I could see instead of being the glaring reminder that I had almost died, Ventress had escaped and that the whole mission had failed because of my mistake. 

Ahsoka did not press any further but gave my hands a squeeze as she got up and headed back to the cockpit, “We’re coming in on the rendezvous point. Anakin requested we join them on the planet’s surface instead of boarding their cruiser to transfer the supplies since they’d have to bring it down anyway.” 

I nodded and followed her, eternally thanking the gods that Anakin’s Padawan was responsible beyond her years and could be trusted to pilot the cargo ship while her superior had nightmares about things they should not fear. 

“I’m not going to lie Master Palmarin,” Ahsoka said without looking at me as she guided the ship onto the landing pad “You don’t look so good. Are you sure you should be doing all this with that wound?”

“I’m sure,” I replied, refusing to dwell on the way I could see that my reflection in the windshield looked tired, my dark complexion lacking its usual glow. Instead, I let a smile form as my gaze caught on two familiar robed figures on the landing pad, the bearded one’s grin visible from afar.

–

“General Palmarin. Commander Tano,” a trooper saluted us as we exited the ship, “Good to see you both again.”

I nodded in return, not recognizing his identification number and did not have time to ask his name before being enveloped in a bone crushing hug. To my own dismay, I did not conceal my flinch in pain well enough and Obi-Wan immediately retracted his grip, holding me at arm’s length looking immensely guilty.

“Cecil I’m so sorry- I keep forgetting-” he started.

“It’s alright. It’s still just a little tender sometimes,” I said, smiling widely at him, feeling giddy to see that ever-present amusement in his expression. He always seemed to be looking at me like we were sharing a personal and deeply hilarious joke, a gaze that never quite left me. 

Obi-Wan almost unconsciously reached up to tuck one of my long braids behind my still existent ear but quickly retracted his hand looking embarrassed. 

“It’s good to see you,” I smiled, pushing my feeling of joy at him through the Force. He smiled wider this time and wrapped me in another short hug.

Anakin broke in across his former Master’s light grip, his hug less invasive than Obi-Wan’s but genuine never-the-less, “I hope you’re ready to give Snips back because I am getting tired of taking orders from General Serious-Business-Only.”

I chuckled and caught Obi-Wan’s eye as he frowned, only making me laugh harder, “I’m sure General Serious-Business-Only could find some excuse to lighten up.”

Anakin grinned wickedly, the sort of grin that told me he already had something up his sleeve and he just needed someone of authority to egg him on. Sometimes I wondered why he was allowed to have a Padawan. 

“The High Council of this planet is hosting a celebration tonight in thanks for you dropping medical supplies and our involvement in keeping their planet ‘Separitist free.’ How about staying for the night instead of leaving now?”

“Anakin-” Obi-Wan started, the signature scolding tone entering his voice.

“Come on Master, it will be FUN,” Anakin continued.

When Obi-Wan did not have an immediate comeback Anakin nodded curtly, bouncing on his toes, “it’s been decided then! We’re staying for the night. Come on Snips, let’s go join the party.”

We watched them go, Obi-Wan frowning with his arms crossed.

“It really won’t hurt to stay the night,” I said, nudging him in the ribs, “Ahsoka hasn’t slept since we left Endor. She deserves a good rest.”

“That goes for you too,” Obi-Wan smiled, “Get some good sleep.”

Before I could respond, Anakin's voice crackled over Obi-Wan’s comm link, “And don’t you two even think of going to bed early. Tonight is for celebration.”

“Anakin-” Obi-Wan started in the same exasperated voice.

“And yes, I promise to get Ahsoka to bed at a reasonable hour. She needs the sleep. But also a little fun in her life. And so do you.”

I laughed at the expression on Obi-Wan’s face, “We’re at war, Anakin.”

“Yes I know Master, that’s why you have to take any opportunity you can get.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes again and this time I couldn’t resist joining him.

–

The four of us were perched on barstools, crammed around a small hightopped table clearly not meant to have four Jedi leaning on it, especially with the way Anakin kept excitedly gesturing. The celebration was in full swing around us, the room a blur of pale blue-skinned natives dancing, eating and conversing as we remained the only stationary point. 

“You know,” Anakin started, letting his glass hit the table a little too hard. “I am really a very responsible teacher. I never let Ahsoka do anything I think she can’t handle.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow like he wanted to protest but didn’t want to offend Ahsoka.

“Except for the time-” Ahsoka started.

“I knew you could handle it-” Anakin interrupted a frown of annoyance forming a crease between his brows.

“Oh? And what was that?” I asked grinning mischievously.

“Nothing.” Anakin and Ahsoka said together. 

“See now you have my interest sparked,” I said, already knowing we would not be getting this story out of them anytime soon.

“It was just a little miscommunication, and things got a little…. hairy.” 

“I see….” Obi-Wan mumbled, “Probably something I’ll be hearing about later and have to reprimand you for?”

Anakin grinned, briefly catching Ahsoka’s eye, “Yeah, probably.”

I shook my head with amusement, reveling in the dynamic the three shared. I knew them all well individually, but I rarely got to see them all together. They exuded a joy and glow that was rare in the midst of the war, a sense of home that seemed to travel with them wherever they went. When they were together they made everyone around them feel like they were in on some hilarious practical joke that was always at the precipice of occurring. Never before within the Jedi Order had I felt quite so at home. 

“Cecil! Are you listening?” Anakin said, waving a hand in front of my face, “They’re playing your favorite song.”

I zoned back in to discover that Anakin was right: this little planet on the edge of the galaxy had somehow managed to dig up an old relic far outside their culture to play at the exact moment that we happened to be on-planet. I all but jumped to my feet, unable to stay stay seated as the familiar baseline filled the room.

“Did you request this?” I asked, feeling that the grin on my face was one none of them had seen for far too long.

Anakin grinned back and glanced conspiratorially at Obi-Wan, “No, but I do know someone who did.”

“Obi-Wan! You remembered!” I said a little too loudly, causing the people around us to stare as I leaned over the table to grasp his hands and tug him off his stool. 

“Cecil no-”

“Oh relax, you requested the song. You’re required to dance now,” I laughed, pulling him after me into the throng of people in the center of the room where the tables had been pushed to the side. I flailed my arms in a way that I knew would look ridiculous in hopes I could at least get him to crack a smile. 

The tactic worked and he seemed to relax a little, letting himself bob up and down on the balls of his feet to the beat of the music. Unsatisfied, I did not let go of his hands, instead forcing them to move, forcing him to at least move his upper body to the music a little. I could hear Anakin laughing and Ahsoka giggling but I couldn’t see anything else but the amused way Obi-Wan was smiling as if it took all his restraint to not burst out laughing. 

“You can laugh, you know. I do look ridiculous. We look ridiculous,” I said.

“That is precisely what I’m worried about,” he deadpanned, still looking extremely uncomfortable with having been dragged out into the throng of dancing blue people, their smaller builds leaving us towering over them and making us stand out. 

“No one else is here. No one to tell on you if you have a little fun,” I prompted, “and I think Anakin and ‘Soka will bother you more about it if you don’t at least pretend to have fun.”

We both looked back at Anakin and Ahsoka to find that they had disappeared, probably in search of the drinks we had forbidden them from seeking. I frowned but their lack of presence seemed to make Obi-Wan more comfortable and he finally started to move, his feet actually shuffling along the ground as he danced.

Maybe ‘danced’ was a strong word. It was more of just moving his limbs in a way that made them slightly off beat but somehow managed to not look completely ridiculous. By the end of the song we were hanging off each other, breathless and giggling like little kids. 

The last note of the song faded and the moment of unadulterated joy faded, bringing us back to reality. The next song picked up slowly, something obviously more familiar to our hosts but also obviously meant for slow dancing. They all coupled up and began slow promanaudes around the room before I could even register that we might want to excuse ourselves. In an instant it was too late and we were the only ones in the middle of the crowd not swaying to the music alongside a partner. 

Much to my surprise, Obi-Wan bowed low before me, offering his hand and said in a serious tone, “Would you care to dance Master Palmarin?”

“How could I refuse Master Kenobi?” I grinned accepting his hand. 

Although I had been holding his hands only moments before in our fervent excitement of my favorite song, this felt forbidden, like something we were not allowed to partake in. A blush rose in my cheeks and all the way through my ears and I hoped that the fact my braids were beginning to frizz out would hide it. However, Obi-Wan’s lips tilted up into a half smile like he noticed and I felt his presence in the Force shift, falling from the unorganized joy he had been exuding to a carefully masked affection that I was immediately sure he had not meant to let me feel. 

The blush rose higher in my cheeks as one of his hands fell on the curve of my waist and the other remained carefully wrapped in mine. I placed my free hand on his shoulder, the familiar feeling of Jedi tunics suddenly alien when I was touching someone else’s.

He led, slowly weaving out of the center of swaying couples, spinning us in slow revolutions around the room. Not for a moment did he break eye contact and not for a moment did I want him to. When he had spun us to the edge of the crowd and could lead us no further he stopped as if he’d been prepared for everything up to that moment. He took his eyes off me for a half second to search the room behind me and I could feel him reaching into the Force, checking for Anakin and Ahsoka. When he did not seem to find them he returned his gaze to mine and I could all but hear his heart hammering in his chest. 

The blush in my cheeks had risen so much I was sure I was looking like an ripe tomato and I couldn’t even begin to effectively push it down because my heart was fluttering just as fast as Obi-Wan’s. A curious desire to hug him closer came over me, to pull him down to where I could study each and every detail of the light blue eyes that were searching my hazel ones so intently. 

Instead I settled for letting my other hand come up to rest on his neck, his long hair hiding the fact that I was practically hanging off him. Both his hands on my waist now, the subtle weight of them feeling completely right and natural despite the little voice in the back of my head that would not stop repeating “Jedi Do Not Form Attachments.”

“I hope you know, Obi-Wan whispered, his breath hot across my face, “I never feel more at home than with you.”

“Obi-Wan-”

“I won’t say anything else compromising,” he said, his eyes twinkling as they remained locked on mine, “but I want you to know.”

I let my hands wander up to cup his face, “Don’t say that out loud. Because then I’d never be able to unhear it. And I’ll never want to leave home either.”

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath, his eyes closing as he leaned his head into my right hand. After a moment he turned his head just enough so his lips brushed my palm, a motion that sent an involuntary shiver through my whole body. 

He remained silent and unmoving for the smallest moment before opening his eyes. His hands  came off my waist to grasp my wrist, pulling my hand away. My fingertips trailed down his face like the tears I felt like crying before falling between us where he held my hands in his.

“You’re right, Cecil, you’re always right.”

I smiled, my voice low and on the verge of breaking, “I know.” 

---------------------------------------

Ch. 2 - Not A Secret

Obi-Wan sat atop the Jedi Temple, legs crossed and deep in meditation. If his eyes had been open he’d have seen the slowly fading light as it began to cast long shadows over Coruscant. This late in the year the far off edges of the great city were shrouded in smog, a glittering haze that was invisible up close. 

The sounds of the Temple district were far off, the dull roar of the deep cityscape almost unnoticeable to Obi-Wan’s ear. Up here it was easy to let everything else go and simply float, let the Force wash over him. The gnawing pressure of the war could almost be pushed away, so far he could barely feel the haunting tension.

Abruptly his concentration was broken, footsteps appearing before him. His eyes snapped open to find Cecil looking down at him.

“Wow, startling THE Obi-Wan Kenobi?” Cecil grinned.

Obi-Wan chuckled, “Only because I wasn’t expecting anyone up here.”

“You’re always up here. It’s not like it’s a secret.” 

“And I thought I was being discreet about my meditation spot.”

Cecil smiled, sinking to the ground in front of him and pushing forward a paper cup full of caf, “I heard a rumor there’s a Council meeting later.”

Obi-Wan ducked his head in thanks, “Yes, there is. But nobody has told me when.”

“Rude of them, seeing as you are on the Council.”

“Which means they want something from me,” he said, eyes sparkling. He returned his gaze to Cecil, briefly getting distracted by the way they nearly glowed backlit by the sunset. 

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Cecil asked. Obi-Wan noticed the way they fidgeted with their own paper cup; the folded edge had been unrolled and rerolled into a mangled depiction of its original form.

“Nothing,” he said, careful to maintain a level tone, “the sunset is just so incredible this time of year.”

Obi-Wan thought he caught a smile creep across Cecil’s features as they turned away, long braids swaying. He had to force himself to not stare, but even still, a stab of guilt flashed through him as the movement revealed the still pink saber burn. Nearly seven months later it still looked painful. 

“It’s rude to stare you know,” Cecil said without looking at him.

Obi-Wan blanched, feeling like he had been doing an excellent job not staring. 

Cecil turned back, this time carefully pulling the many long braids away, exposing the saber burn where it descended into their tunic. With a clearer view, Obi-Wan could tell the wound was healing, that it no longer looked nearly as painful as it had been. But it would scar. A remembrance of those terrible moments. And to think he could have stopped it-

“I know you’re thinking you could have prevented it,” Cecil said, their voice interrupting his thoughts.

“You know it's possible.”

“But it didn’t happen that way. I’ll always have this wicked scar cracking me open.”

“That makes it sound so dramatic,” he said.

“When am I not dramatic?” Cecil asked, taking a sip of the caf and wrinkling their nose, “what does the Temple have against having good caf?”

“Everything apparently,” Obi-Wan said, taking a swig of his own and making a similar face. 

Abruptly, Cecil’s comm crackled, “Master Palmarin, yousa needed inda council chambers.”

They sighed deeply before responding, “Yeah, I’ll be right down Jar Jar.”

“Roger roger,” his voice replied.

Not two seconds later Obi-Wan’s comm went off, “Master Kenobi, yousa also needed inda Council chambers.”

Cecil choked on the caf, attempting to stifle a giggle; only Jar Jar would be so bold to assume they were always together. Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot up and the humor was clear in his voice when he replied, “Will do.”

“Whatsa so funny?” Jar Jar asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Obi-Wan said, trying to hide his light hearted tone.

“Iffen yousa say so,” he replied, the line going silent. 

“I guess they want something from me too,” Cecil said with a grin. 

“The rumors circling are about an undercover-ish mission,” Obi-Wan started.

This time Cecil’s eyebrows shot up and Obi-Wan swore he felt a leap in their Force signature, “Do you think they’d really send us on another mission together after what happened last time?”

Obi-Wan frowned, “It was not our fault Ventress showed up. And every other time we’ve been on stuff together we’re literally unstoppable.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous,” Cecil laughed, “Anakin is finally rubbing off on you.”

He laughed too, a feeling of warmth spreading across his chest as their voices echoed across the otherwise empty rooftop, “I guess he is.”

“Good,” Cecil said and flashed a smile that Obi-Wan somehow felt was only meant for him.  

---------------------------------------

Ch.3 - Preparations

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Anakin said looking around the council chamber with a disbelieving grin, “Those two? As a couple? No one is going to buy that.”

I felt my face go hot and my fingernails bit into my palm. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Obi-Wan shift in his seat and almost imperceptibly felt his Force signature change to match mine: a deep annoyance that well obscured the shock of excitement.

Padmé’s hologram glared at him, “Fortunately, no one asked you Anakin.”

This time it was Obi-Wan’s turn to hide his grin. Even Master Windu’s mouth twitched. I bit my lip but only wished that I’d been the one who said it. 

“I only meant,” Anakin said quietly, “that everyone in the galaxy knows who they are. That they’re friendly with the Senator.”

“Yes,” Master Yoda said, “but young Skywalker. You everyone will expect to see. But suspect a regal and powerful warlord couple they will not.”

The look on Anakin’s face was priceless but he rearranged it so quickly that I doubt anyone but myself and Obi-Wan recognized it: a mix between awe and horror that Yoda would so blatantly hint at something more between the Senator and himself. 

“If I may interject,” Obi-Wan said before Anakin had the chance to say anything he’d regret, “Anakin does have a point. Especially with all three of us, that combination is to be expected.”

Yoda nodded thoughtfully as if he had not already considered this at length. 

“As well known as you think, Master Malmarin is not. Their job discreetly they do,” he said nodding to me, “and disguises you will have.” 

“And that is where I come in,” Padmé said, “You’ll both be unrecognizable out of your Jedi robes. I’m arriving in Coruscant shortly and will get you all ready before we depart for Naboo.”

I raised my eyebrows, not even daring to ask what lavish outfits the former Queen of Naboo had stored away that would coincidentally be my size. 

“And why does this meeting have to be on Naboo again?” Anakin interrupted again.

“To show them we trust them. Enough to invite them into my home,” Padmé explained, barely hiding her exasperated tone. 

“But couldn’t we meet them in some neutral system where you and your family are not at so great of risk?

“It’s an olive branch, Anakin. Whether we like it or not, it is the best course of action to get this system on the side of the Republic,” Obi-Wan said, making far less effort than Padmé to hide his exasperated tone.

Yoda seemed to care little for this exchange, “Prepare Master Kenobi and Master Palmarin, Senator Amidala will. And to Naboo follow they will.”

Seeing it would do no good to argue, Anakin was content to frown and glare menacingly as the rest of the plan was laid out. 

It was simple really. Obi-Wan and I in disguise. Anakin seemingly the only protection to the Senator in the midst of a potentially hostile environment. A dinner over which politics would be discussed. The guests to sleep in an elaborate lakeside villa. And on their way the next morning after another round of political discussions over a  lavish meal. What could go wrong?

---------------------------------------

CH. 4 - Chemistry POSTED

When Padmé arrived on Coruscant I did my best to be late meeting her, purposely taking the long route to her landing pad. But I still had to pretend to not see Anakin’s speeder take off, pretend I did not see the flushed look of joy on Padmé’s face. 

“Good evening Senator,” I said, shaking her hand, “I trust you’re well?”

“No need to stand on guard Cecil,” she said grinning “I’d like to think we’re friends by now.”

“Of course,” I laughed, “I just still feel like I should greet you with formality.”

“Well don’t feel that way. Especially when I’m about to make you stand around in your underwear for far longer than you’re comfortable in effort to find the perfect outfit for you.”

I frowned, having not considered this.

“Don’t worry,” she said, grabbing my arm and whispering conspiratorially, “I’ve sent Master Kenobi his own squadron of people to get him ready. It will just be you and my personal handmaidens.”

“I see,” I said, my frown deepening as I watched the handmaidens unload a multitude of elaborate trunks from her ship, all of them clearly full of clothing.

Arriving in her personal quarters, Padmé slammed the doors shut for effect and skipped ahead of me. 

“Now,” she said, dramatically tossing her overcoat, “not only am I outfitting you, I’m helping you to prepare and embrace your role as a hopelessly in-love warlord couple who are so regal and stunning that no one would dare speak to them without a reason of utmost importance.”

I frowned crossing my arms across my chest, “I-”

“Nope!” she said cutting me off, “that’s step number one. No crossing your arms. You’re practically royalty for the next seventy-two hours. You have to stop carrying yourself like a Jedi.”

“But-” 

“First lose the Jedi robes. And then we’ll work on the rest.”

“Padmé-”

She had crossed the room and began undoing my robes a little too expertly, ignoring my protests. Without the full weight of my Jedi robes I felt naked, not just in the sense of lacking clothing but that I could not remember a time without them. 

“Here,” she said, handing me a small pile of clothes, “put this on. You’re a filthy rich warlord. No Jedi undergarments allowed. And when you’re done, I think you’ll like the first outfit on the top here,” she said, gesturing to one of the sprawling suitcases that seemed to be exploding clothing all over the room.

I nodded, turning away in an attempt at privacy. This made Padmé roll her eyes but she retreated from the room, leaving me momentarily alone. 

Half dressed and struggling to right the deep purple garment that had been laid out for me, I struggled as one of Padmé’s handmaidens appeared. The woman was taller than Padmé if only by a fraction but eerily resembled the Senator. I knew she had a decoy but I was not aware they spent so much time together. 

“Let me,” the woman said, her fingers reaching past mine to rearrange the fabric and close the final zipper. 

She spun me around so I faced the mirror. Someone I did not recognize stared back.

They were tall and regal, their hair teased into its natural style creating a magnificent halo around their head. The jewelry Padmé had chosen glittered brightly as the handmaiden slipped it on the person in the mirror, their wrists adorned with heavy gold bangles and an equally impressive set of necklaces settled on their neck.

 The outfit itself hugged the figure in the mirror tightly around the torso, the neckline covering far less than I had ever imagined showing. At the waist it flowed away from them in a way I was sure would fan when they walked and give the impression of having great violet wings. It was sleeveless, or what could pass as sleeveless save for the draping of fabric attached at each shoulder that cascaded down to meet the rest of the garment. 

“I picked you something you could still fight in,” Padmé said reappearing, “I hope it’s not too much. If you don’t like it I have a couple other options.” 

I stared at myself a second longer, “It’s beautiful Padmé,” I whispered, “I barely recognize myself.”

“That is exactly the intent darling Cecil. And you look absolutely jaw-dropping, I can’t wait until Obi-Wan sees you.

I felt my jaw drop but quickly snapped it shut.

“Dormé,” she said addressing her handmaiden, “Go fetch Obi-Wan will you? He should be ready by now.”

Dormé nodded curtly and disappeared from the room, leaving us alone together. 

“Did you think my choice of Jedi I requested as protection was random Cecil?” Padmé all but whispered, “I’m not about to prod in your business, but you have chemistry. And I needed chemistry for this to work.”

I flushed. It had never occurred to me that someone else might have noticed the thing I’d been trying so hard to quiet within myself. 

“Does anyone else know that?” I asked, my voice quiet and wavering.

“Of course not,” she said cheerily and patted my hand, “Only you. Because if I told Obi-Wan he’d simply combust of awkwardness.”

“I mean-”

Padmé looked at me steadily before striding out of the room, “Life is fleeting Cecil. Don’t miss out on something because of someone else’s rules you aren’t sure you believe in.”

I stood staring after her, my hands all the sudden shaking.

The door creaking open pulled me out of my momentary stupor, Obi-Wan’s figure emerging.

The attire Padmé had chosen for Obi-Wan was far less extravagant than my own, but so far from something Obi-Wan would choose himself that it disguised him well. It was a deep purple, almost black, but the satin shone brilliantly. Similar to my own, the outer layer cascaded down behind him, flowing in an invisible wind when he moved. Underneath was an even darker, yet still purple tunic and trousers. The tunic was of the same satin fabric that looked fit for royalty. Which is exactly what we were pretending to be, so I supposed it was intentional. 

Even from the way he was walking I could tell Obi-Wan was deeply uncomfortable outside of his typical dress but the look suited him. It changed the energy he exuded, less Jedi Master, more warlord with enough money to drown in. 

And he had shaved, the clean shaven face making him look younger, more like the way he looked when I had met nearly two decades ago. Nothing could erase his old soul though, the way smile lines gathered around his eyes just as they always had. As a teenager I’d remarked on them once and he had blushed as his hand went up to feel them. I think he knew I was telling him I loved the way he smiled because I remember that being the first time I really felt his presence in the Force bloom with happiness. 

I shook my head, trying to displace the memory. It scattered only to be replaced with the real thing, Obi-Wan’s smile bringing me new confidence in my outfit. 

“You look stunning darling,” Obi-Wan said, not even resisting adding the pet name. 

“As do you,” I smiled, reaching up to adjust the satin collar of his shirt, “I’m glad you agreed to this particular outfit.”

He let me do so before catching my hand in his, bringing it to his lips and bowing low, “Only so that I don’t look like a peasant next to you.”

I felt heat rise in my cheeks and broke our eye contact with nervous laughter not knowing what to say.

Padmé did me the grace of clearing her throat and Obi-Wan dropped my hand, shooting me a wink. For a moment Padmé circled us observing, trying to decide if we would pass someone other than the Jedi we were. 

“I think the mullet has to go,” she said suddenly to Obi-Wan.

“What!” he exclaimed, his hand flying to his hair. 

“I think people know you too well for it. At least since the war. You already look much different without the beard, but I think a touchup to the hair will help.”

Obi-Wan frowned like she had personally offended him.

“Thank you Padmé. I have been begging him to let me cut it.”

“But I just now got it to fit into a hair-tie,” he started.

“You sound like Anakin,” Padmé laughed and I could tell she said it just to stop Obi-Wan from protesting anymore, “Go change out of these outfits both of you. I’ll have Dormé package them up for you. And a couple other outfits to lay low in.”

“Yes ma’am,” Obi-Wan said, saluting her.

Padmé laughed and swatted him on the shoulder, “Just go. And cut that mullet off.”

I saluted her as well, earning us another grin before she disappeared.

“I’m not letting you anywhere near my hair Cecil,” Obi-Wan said matter of factly. 

“Okay,” I smiled, biting my lip, “I’ll take you to the best barber I know.”

Obi-Wan groaned but didn’t protest. I swore I caught a hint of a smile as he left the room. 

---------------------------------------

Ch. 5- Varykino Villa

The looping hallways of Varykino Villa had sated my nervousness; I felt I was sinking into the place, the part I was playing becoming more and more real.  Obi-Wan had taken my hand, holding it like it was the most normal thing in the galaxy. For a fleeting instant I could see us standing together in some other life, some version of ourselves that did not involve the Jedi Order and was just us living on some gorgeous planet where no one ever bothered us. 

“You still with me?” Obi-Wan asked, squeezing my hand.

I shook my head, sending the images scurrying away, “Sure am. Let’s go husband.”

He leaned in so only I could hear, “Let’s go Mx. Kenobi.”

—

As the night wore on,  I couldn't help but wonder why nothing had gone wrong. Nothing ever went this right. No one had even looked sideways at Padmé. No one had squinted at us in recognition. The political discussions were going swimmingly. And I was giddy with joy at getting to spend the evening hanging off Obi-Wan’s arm. 

Anakin and Senator Amidala had long since disappeared and I was beginning to think that this was all a ploy to get Anakin on-planet where the two could excusably be alone together. Obi-Wan pretended not to notice their absence and I pretended not to notice the way he had averted his gaze every time he saw them. I imagined that he deliberately shoved away any memories of other times his former Padawan sat too close to the regal Senator or gave her too long of a hug. 

Everything added up now. I’d always pretended not to notice the way Anakin’s presence in the Force burst with life anytime Padme was in the room, the way he never stopped looking at her, the way he had been so nervous to meet her again for the first time all those years ago. Even the image of little Anakin rose in my mind, the way Obi-Wan had told it, Anakin’s eyes took in Padme as if she were an angel coming to rescue him. 

But tonight with the evidence staring me in the face, I came to the same conclusion that I suspected Obi-Wan had: as long as it never directly interfered with Anakin’s official duties, he could pretend it wasn’t happening before his eyes. Because they needed Anakin far more than the Jedi Council needed to know that Anakin had fallen in love with the Senator.

As the evening progressed, Naboo’s sunset faded, only one moon reflecting onto the lake now, the guests slowly vanishing into Varykino Villa’s many rooms. Only the occasional wanderer in search of a midnight snack appeared, but scurried away upon catching sight of the two sharing a plate of food on the grand balcony overlooking the lake. 

At least that was my impression of the one child who wandered into the room behind us and all but ran away when we turned to look.

“I’d turn and run too if I saw you backlit by moonlight and glowing so ethereally,” Obi-Wan said without looking at me. 

I felt a blush rise on my cheeks, “Ah yes, because I am oh so angelic with my hair in desperate need of taming and a good night’s sleep.” 

I didn’t look at him either. It felt safer to tease him without looking for risk he’d see right through me, for fear that he would sense that I wanted him to continue, to tell me everything about how he thought I was angelic in his eyes. 

Obi-Wan set down the glass of wine he had been nursing, the dark red substance glittering in the twinkling light of the moon, “Cecil, you’re always angelic.” 

I mentally berated myself for the shot of joy the words gave me, the warm flame of affection I’d been snuffing out making a new attempt to surface. An involuntary shiver passed through me and I thought about how Naboo’s summer was cool this year, uncharacteristically so according to Padme. But after the earlier rainstorm, the clouds had vanished and left the outlook onto the lake clear. With our backs to one of the intricately carved pillars of the balcony we were almost touching, our arms balancing careful millimeters away from each other. 

“Are you cold?” he asked after a second when I did not respond.

“No. Just tired.”

“Let’s go to bed then. We still have a long breakfast full of more politics tomorrow.”

I nodded and accepted his hand as I stood up and we made our way back to our rooms.

With my hand in Obi-Wan’s, my head was swimming.  Neither of us had consumed anything alcoholic but it felt like I was somewhere else, not in the moment anymore, like a memory surfacing so clearly I could feel it. A moment seemingly outside of time, a dream. 

We were on some planet in a far off system, no one recognized us. The planet’s summer weather was just beginning and it was one of those evenings where a careful coolness sets in after the sun sets. The balcony doors of our room opened onto the countryside sprawled out below to meet the nearby town. And save for the birds, we were alone. 

“Can you undo this? It’s stuck in a knot,” Obi-Wan complained, flopping dramatically into a chair.

I turned from beginning to unbutton my own clothes to look at him, shaking my head, “you know, I really had thought you’d know how to at least undo a tie if not tie it up.”

Obi-Wan frowned, “I think the issue is that I did it wrong and now it won’t come untangled,” he said, gesturing to the now wrinkled and disheveled garment.

I rolled my eyes but crossed the room to where he sat, standing in front of him just close enough to slip my fingers underneath, working it loose from the knot he’d managed to wrestle it into. Chin tilted up to allow me to untangle it, I could feel his eyes steadily searching my face but I stubbornly refused to meet his gaze, focusing intently on the issue at hand. 

“You’re right,” I said, “there is no way this was correct in the first place.”

“Hey,” he said, his voice flying up an octave, “Just because I can’t tie a tie doesn’t mean I’m not a gentleman.”

After a moment the garment came free and fell into my hands. Obi-Wan did not stop looking at me and I suddenly felt it was very obvious that I was refusing to meet his gaze. Instead of meeting his eyes, I handed him the tie and lifted my hands again to straighten his collar. 

Even though I wasn’t meeting his eyes I could feel his smile; it reached out to me through his Force signature. And Obi-Wan was doing nothing to conceal the affection in it. 

He seemed to sense the moment I realized this, like he was waiting for me to see it, waiting for me to realize that right here on this planet in the middle of nowhere he was holding nothing back.

“Cecil,” he said, not whispering, but sure, confident that everything he was doing was alright, permissible even. 

“Cecil, will you look at me?” he asked finally, standing and lifting a hand to gently grip my chin.  Meeting his gaze I found the soft blue sea that I so desperately wanted to get lost in. As I did so, that seemed to bring him to a decision, his presence in the Force suddenly softening, a wall that I hadn’t known he’d been holding suddenly no longer there. The bright warmth of his presence felt like the first day of sunshine after a cold winter, something I could never replicate elsewhere. He’d brought down this wall before, but only just enough to peak past. Now I could see everything.

As he stood, I let my hands trail down his neck and slowly fall onto his chest. 

“Can I kiss you now?” he said, whispering this time, like asking too loudly would scare me away. 

I nodded, almost imperceptible, also pushing assurance of my consent at him in my Force signature, assurance that despite my rare desire to kiss someone, right now I wanted to. To kiss him. 

He breathed out and closed the small distance between us, one hand reaching up to cradle my head, the other twining around my waist, pulling me to him. As with every other thing he did, he was gentle, every fiber of his being exuding a soft but vibrant joy. 

I was first to pull away, suddenly so breathless the room had started to spin. Obi-Wan’s hands were light, barely touching.

“Are you okay?,” he whispered.

I swallowed, resting my forehead against his, “More than okay.”

My breath was ragged and I knew he could feel my fingers shaking. This was something I'd never experienced before. Wanting more. I’d never wanted more. Not ever. 

Obi-Wan seemed to notice the fluttering of my pulse and visibly leaned back, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” I paused my voice unsteady, “Obi-Wan, I’m sorry, I don’t think I want to-”

“Don’t apologize for anything,” he said, his voice firm, “there is nothing to apologize for. I will never expect anything from you.” 

“But I-”

He softly placed a finger on my lips, “I think you and I have very similar approaches to uh- things like this.” He gestured between us before gripping my hands firmly, “I want you to know that.”

“Oh,” I whispered. I tuned in to his Force signature hoping I’d find a better explanation there.

His presence in the Force was warm, welcoming, but tainted with nervous anxiety. But the hint of fear wasn’t because he knew the Order would never allow affection like this. It wasn’t because he was truly nervous about kissing me. The feeling bleeding through the Force was something else entirely. 

He was afraid that I wouldn’t be okay with just this. And nothing more. He was afraid that I would want more from him, that I wouldn’t be okay with just this. 

“Oh,” I whispered again and I could tell he was letting me see a part of him no one ever saw. At my feeling of acceptance in the Force he pushed something more; another hesitation, a feeling that he wasn’t even sure what he wanted, that he had never had the opportunity to find out what he wanted. 

“Oh,” I repeated for a third time, beginning to feel that I needed to respond to this soul-baring moment with something more than a single syllable.

—

“Just stay,” I thought as we climbed into bed, clad in our fancy silk pajamas,  “stay right here and let me fall asleep next to you just once,”  letting the thought bleed into the Force. Maybe the words were not there but the feeling was, the intense desire to be close to him. Just like this, wrapped in cozy blankets and content to be beside each other.

The look on his face changed and he relaxed, sinking back into the bed. He lifted his arm, reaching around me to pull me close. I sucked in a breath but did not resist, letting him gather me to his side, all but falling into his lap. 

“Is this okay,” Obi-Wan said, freezing for a moment, his life Force fluttering with uncharacteristic uncertainty. 

Now with my head nestled into the crook of his neck I had to pull away to look up at him, finding his eyes filled with emotion as he looked down at me. For a second I couldn’t breath, his eyes, the smile lines, the little strand of hair falling into his face at this exact moment- it was everything I saw every day but right now it was only for me to look at. 

“Yes of course.”

—

Obi-Wan watched Cecil carefully, the slight rise and fall of their side, the way a lock of hair fluttered softly every time they breathed out. As he imagined was the case with most Jedi, they looked younger while asleep. His final thought before drifting into sleep was that he couldn’t wait to wake up next to them; it was something he knew he could get used to.

---------------------------------------

Ch. 6 - Reassurances

Outside, rain came down in huge droplets. But the roar of Naboo’s sudden downpour was barely audible over the hundreds of voices conversing merrily, the din almost masking the music. In the midst of it all no one paid Obi-Wan and I any notice, the two of us holding the room under observation, watching for any potential harm to Senator Amidala. 

Some time ago he had taken my hand in his own and to any onlooker we looked like any other couple present. All evening I’d been watching the other couples, mimicking their behavior, watching the way they mirrored their partners, the shorter ones beginning to lean their heads on the shoulders of the taller ones as the night wore on. I followed suit, leaning into Obi-Wan’s frame-

“Master Palmarin,” Commander Cody’s voice said suddenly, “can you weigh in on this?”

I jolted out of the memory and back into reality. The whole table was staring at me, the Jedi Council’s holographic images flickering faintly, the smirk on Anakin’s face poorly hidden. The war room lights of Obi-Wan’s Star Destroyer were suddenly too bright, their fluorescent humming loud in my ears.

“Sorry, what?”

“Commander Cody was just asking if you thought the warlords from the Naboo meeting could be pushed for more definite support?” Anakin interjected, “Unless you have something more important on your mind you’d care to share?”

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him as I answered, very intently not looking at Obi-Wan either. He sat at the head of the table, carefully observing everything being said, his face stoic, voice always calm and steady. He gave no indication that he was distracted.

As for me, I couldn’t stop replaying every moment of Naboo in my head. It had been a week since we had left and we had barely spoken. The silence was loud, loud enough to gnaw anxiety into my heart. Loud enough to make my stomach twist in knots. Loud enough to let me hear the imaginary whisper that said he didn’t mean anything he’d said and that he regretted it at all.

I turned the thought over and over in my head. By the time the meeting concluded, I had convinced myself we had broken our friendship and that everything was over between us.

“Well,” Anakin said slamming his hands down on the table as soon as the holocomms shut off, “Snips and I have shit to do-”

“Language Anakin,” Obi-Wan warned.

“We’ve got shit to do Master” Ahsoka repeated, a wicked grin on her face as she stood with Anakin.

“You two are hopeless,” Obi-Wan said and crossed his arms. I laughed and he sent me a half-hearted glare that shot a jolt through me.

“But you love us, don’t ya?” Anakin said.

“Unfortunately yes,” Obi-Wan laughed, “Now scram, get off my ship.”

“Yes sir,” Anakin grinned, mock saluting his former Master. 

“We’re scramming, Master,” Ahsoka giggled as she followed Anakin out.

I couldn’t help but smile after them, adoring the way the three acted like family. Even Cody had a smile on his face when he stood to leave. He only nodded in farewell, ever the perfect soldier returning to his post.

As soon as his footsteps faded Obi-Wan’s fingers flicked over the controls before him, closing the bridge’s doors and opening the blast shields. The swath of empty space stared back at me, stars twinkling, daring me to wish upon them.

“Cecil, you’re so anxious I can hear your heart beating across the room,” Obi-Wan said, nearing me. 

I still didn’t look at him, the thoughts I’d been chasing all week roaring in my head. He leaned against the table, very close but not touching. 

“I- I’m just thinking.”

“About…?” he prompted and I could feel his Force signature probing mine. 

“We’ve barely talked all week. Do you regret something you told me on Naboo? Or the kiss? Or what the Council would say? Or-” I spluttered, all my questions rushing out before I could stop them. 

“Oh darling,” Obi-Wan whispered, his voice soft. He leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead before squatting before me so his eyes were level with mine, “I should have just said it before. You shouldn’t have to guess.”

“Guess what?” I said, my voice shaky.

“That I love you. I always have. From the moment we met, even if I wasn’t aware of it, you were always tangled in my soul.”

I sighed in relief, a sound that came out as a sob, “Me too. I mean- I thought it was just me-”

“Certainly not,” Obi-Wan said as his hand came up to wipe the tears that were trying to form.

“I always have. And I didn’t know it. Even with our Force bond-” I said, my voice still wavering.

Obi-Wan laughed, and drew away to stand where he could hold my hands in his,  “You know - maybe you don’t know - but our Force bond, our dyad, it’s stronger than mine with Anakin. Stronger than the one with my own Padawan.”

“Oh,” I laughed, suddenly very self conscious.

“So don’t doubt for a minute that I love you Cecil Palmarin,” he whispered as he pulled me from my seat.

“I won’t. Only if you don’t doubt me either,” I said, my lips smiling into his.

“Wouldn’t think of it darling,” he breathed as he captured my mouth with his. 

I leaned into the kiss, my hands finding their way into his hair. His fingers ghosted along my torso before drawing me closer, pulling me against him.  He broke away first, but only so he could kiss down my jaw, his lips straying to my neck, the sensation sending involuntary shivers through me. Abruptly his nose poked my face and I giggled. Once I started I couldn’t stop and my laughter echoed through the room.

Obi-Wan kept a hand cradling my face as he pulled away, his smile-lines crinkling in the way I loved so dearly.

“Are you really that ticklish?” he asked, his Force signature warm.

“No,” I beamed,  “I just can’t believe I’m kissing you in the War Room of your Star Destroyer.”

Obi-Wan chuckled and leaned in so our lips were nearly touching “Well it is my Star Destroyer.”

I laughed too, “If you say so, General Kenobi.”

He rolled his eyes, “I do indeed say so, General Palmarin.”

“And what would people say if they were to check the security footage of your Star Destroyer? And see two of their Generals making out?” I asked, still so close to him that I’d barely have to move to touch my lips to his.

He grinned, “I’m sure they’d just be mad that Anakin was right.”

I pulled away from him in surprise and tried to keep the annoyance out of my tone, “Oh really?”

“Don’t worry. He only berates me about you in private. Not even in front of Ahsoka.”

“And how long has he ‘been berating you about me?’” I quoted back.

He blushed and he averted his eyes, “Since the moment he met you.”

It was my turn to blush. “That long?”

“Well sort of. He did ask if the two of us were something more as a kid. But then he didn’t bring it up again until- until much later. 

“And by much later you mean…?”

Obi-Wan cringed and took a small step away from me, a flash of something that must have been guilt passing through the Force. 

“Remember when I had to fake my death-”

I felt a surge of annoyance, “How could I forget?”

“After that, after it was all over-”

“Don’t think I ever really forgave you for that-” I said, poking his chest.

“Yeah well, that’s what I mean. After that, Anakin was livid. And not just because he’s Anakin. Because he saw what it did to you.”

Obi-Wan had paused and seemed to lose himself in a memory, “And then last year, when we almost lost you to Ventress- he saw what that did to me.”

“And then he wouldn’t let it go,” I said matter-a-factly. 

“So much so that he tried to stop us from pretending to be a couple for the Naboo mission because he was afraid that it would become obvious to everyone else too,” Obi-Wan chuckled.

I shook my head and smiled before I pulled him back toward me, “That really doesn’t add up-”

“Well, it’s what he thinks.”

“Let him, or anyone, think whatever they want,” I whispered before kissing him again. 

If I could have stayed in that moment forever, I would have. But eventually he pecked the corner of my mouth and pulled away. 

“I could kiss you all day, but I fear we have duties to attend to,” he said.

I closed the distance between us once more, kissing him a moment longer, melting into him. 

“I fear the same,” I whispered when I pulled away. 

“Most importantly, deleting the security footage,” Obi-Wan said, his voice tinged with regret. 

I smoothed his hair from his face, arranging it so it wouldn’t look like he’d been making out with someone, “unfortunately, you're right.”

“And you know that what we talked about at that meeting means I won’t see you for ages,” Obi-Wan said, but made no move to retract himself from my embrace. 

“It’s probably for the best,” I whispered and averted my eyes. 

Obi-Wan seemed to mull it over as he searched my face. It would be good for us to be away from each other after all that had transpired. We couldn’t let our focus be compromised by each other any more than it already was. And we certainly couldn't allow rumors about two Jedi Masters falling in love. 

---------------------------------------

Ch. 7 - Pep-Talks

It was months after our kiss in the War-Room and every time I could find an excuse to visit  The Negotiator and its General I gladly repeated the practice. Frankly, I’d only visited twice because I had my own fleet to run, but it kept me on my toes, just knowing that Obi-Wan would be there if I went to visit. It was never more than stolen kisses and whispered adorations but I found I didn’t want more. Not now, maybe not ever. 

“Do you remember when they first told you that you’d be a general in this war?” Obi-Wan asked.

I was curled up in his lap where we sat on the floor with our backs to the bridge and looking out into the vastness of space.

 “I do. Vividly. It was right here in this room,” I said, not wanting to recall the memory.

“I only ask because I want you to know that what you felt then, for once in your life you were wrong. You are a wonderful General.”

I craned my head to look up at him, “And you know that I would have refused to do it if it hadn’t been for you.”

He glanced down at me, “What do you mean?”

“You gave me this whole pep-talk. About how I was one of the most accomplished Jedi of the age and if anyone was prepared to lead an army, it was me.”

“And it was true. Still is,” he smiled.

“And you gave me this hug,” I started, “it made me feel like it would all be okay.”

“Because it was going to be,” Obi-Wan sighed, placing a kiss on my head.

“And,” I paused, not sure how to get the words out but knowing I was ready to say them, “that’s when I knew I loved you.” 

I paused because Obi-Wan had pulled away so he could see me, hands still grasping mine but now sitting cross legged.

“But especially in this war,” I continued, feeling cruel that I’d make this confession of love but litter it with my war philosophy, “it would have been excusable for us to fall in love. The whole world has gone to shit and even if we win, it would never have been the same. Too much has changed. The Jedi order will be reorganized. I just wish we’d known it then.”

Obi-Wan looked like he didn’t know what to say, “How are you so sure?”

“I can feel it,” I said, surprised, “Can you not?”

Obi-Wan frowned and I continued, “Something has shifted. Too much is different now, even the Force feels different. Maybe it’s just that the Dark side has gained too much power, but we can never go back to those ancient traditions if we hope to retain anything of the Jedi.

Obi-Wan drew back further, staring intently, “Those are dangerous words Cecil Palmarin.”

I rolled my eyes, “I know. That’s why I haven’t said them out loud before. But whatever happens, it won’t be the same.”

Obi-Wan didn’t respond but I could tell he was weighing my words, his Force presence full of conflict and apprehension.

“But we don’t have to worry about that yet,” I said, reaching up to soothe his hair away from his face; in the last couple months it had started to get long again.

“What worries me Cecil, is that you are always right,” Obi-Wan mused.

“No I’m not-”

“About the things that matter, you tend to be. You have excellent intuition. And I just don’t know if I’m ready to confront that reality.”

“You can’t live in the confines of the Jedi Order’s reality forever.”

“Couldn’t I? That is the call of the Jedi, is it not?”

“Not anymore,” I whispered.

“But-” 

“And you know far better than I, Obi-Wan, it’s not about the Jedi. It’s about the Force. You could live without the Jedi. But not the Force. That’s the life we will always be tied to.” 

“Hmm,” Obi-Wan said, his eyes focusing on something far away. I could feel him contemplating again, mind working over what I said. A pang of anxiety hit me in knowing how much value he placed in my opinion - and that with this knowledge I would so willingly shatter the little shard of hope that was left for returning to the time before.

---------------------------------------

Part 2 (Chapters 8-13)

[dalekofchaos]

Killing The New Republic and Luke’s New Jedi Order killed the Sequel Trilogy

Disney you’re a business, who’s all about money, but then you chose to destroy the New Jedi Order and New Republic, that is definitely killing your billions, even after refusing to put storytelling first and foremost, and then having the audacity to claim “we don’t have source material” never mind the countless series of video games, comics, novels, tv shows and films, merchandising etc. Not to mention all the fucking stuff you could’ve done with the NR in BATTLEFRONT! YOU COULD HAVE MADE WITH THE NEW REPUBLIC AND NEW JEDI ORDER!

But no. Instead you made Leia an incompetent general leading an even weaker  and an on the budget Rebel Alliance. Han’s character arc was dropped, Han and Leia’s iconic romance was broken up and they were both turned into absent parents and Luke’s Jedi Order failed and 30 years of peace was undone pointlessly. But instead you just wanted Rebels vs Empire 2.0, but only this time around it’s dumber. 

Do you know what we could’ve done with The New Republic? Leia as Chancellor. Han and Lando as her Ministers of Defense. Boba Fett, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan leading The Mandalorians together as allies to the New Republic. We could’ve had a House Of Cards/West Wing/Game Of Thrones styled writing for the overall politics of The New Republic. You could’ve made a goddamn fortune on New Republic troopers, armor, weapons, fighters and frigates. Hell, you could even have The New Republic wield their own Star Defenders as opposed to Star Destroyers.  I am well aware that canon demilitarized The New Republic and already made a post on why disarming the New Republic in new canon was stupid.

What should have happened is that the NR commanders the Imperial Fleet and starts protecting systems who join the NR, all while chasing down and fighting any of the Remnants (Moffs, Warlords, Crime Lords, etc) who have grabbed power in the resulting vacuum. We could have seen an evolution of ships from Old Republic to Empire to NR ones. They could have renamed Star Destroyers into Star Defenders. Hell, they could have had a Republic of independent systems, each with their own sizable military, so that power isn't centralized.

Here is what the Sequel Trilogy could’ve been with the New Republic in power.

This could have been an interesting question for the ST. What happens after you win a war? How do you not make the same mistakes or become the thing you fought. What happens in a power vacuum? The NR should have been the dominant emerging power, and the Remnant should have been a small, secretive, unknown order, striking strategically from the UR where they hid, and causing fear and panic to spread in the NR. But no, instead of telling an interesting story, we are force fed the recycled poorly written rehashed Rebels vs Empire and the Rebels are made to be weaker than The First Order. The First Order are a terrorist movement, they should not be reigning after Hosnian Prime’s destruction, ESPECIALLY AFTER LOSING STARKILLER BASE! Concentrating your government and defenses around only one system is really stupid(AND BAD FUCKING WRITING) The New Republic’s forces should have been spread far across the galaxy. So after Hosnian Prime, The New Republic  sees the bigger picture and mobilizes their fleet and unites their forces with The Resistance. Instead The New Republic is stupidly destroyed because Rian wanted the Rebels to be the Rebels again.(lol this movie is fucking dumb) God forbid we get The New Republic fighting the First Order and making the heroes looking strong in force instead of stupidly having all the Rebels fit inside the Falcon. For the love of fucking god I hate this fucking timeline.

As for The Imperial Remnant. Thrawn, and Rae Sloane would lead the fleets and  Darth Plagueis and the Knights Of Ren would would be in command of the dark side.

Do you have any idea how fucking frustrated it was to play The Battlefront games with The Resistance who are just discount Rebels? They look fucking pathetic.

JUST LOOK AT THE NEW REPUBLIC IN THE MANDALORIAN!!!!!!!! SO MUCH POTENTIAL!

Oh and just look at the NR Troopers from Legends and fan concepts

SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL!

As for the New Jedi Order.

Ya’ll were sitting on a GOLDMINE with the New Jedi Order. You murdered the goose which laid thegolden egg. Imagine proper video games, novels, animations, films in that era.  Think about all of the unique characters and designs we could’ve seen, all the unique toys they could have sold, plus they could’ve centered Galaxy’s Edge around becoming a Jedi, building your own lightsaber, and undergoing training at Luke’s academy. I know they have a lightsaber-building thing there currently, but it would’ve made a lot more sense if they could’ve tied it in to the new trilogy with the New Jedi Order. Plus, Mark Hamill was the only one of the major OT actors who was willing to continually reprise his role well into the future, and they reduced Luke’s role to a cameo in 2/3 sequel movies and ruined his character and killed him off in the other one. They could’ve kept Luke around for several more decades and thrown him in to as many TV series, video games, and movies as they wanted to, and people would’ve flocked to see or purchase whatever he’s in, because it’s freaking Luke Skywalker. Destroying the New Jedi Order offscreen and ruining and killing off Luke Skywalker were the two dumbest decisions made with the sequel trilogy. They could’ve made BILLIONS off of this stuff. The continued pre-trilogy and post-trilogy stories, the toys, the merchandising, the video games, the books and comics, everything. What makes matters worse is that as I said, Mark Hamill was the only one who wanted to continue with his role,( Also he is an accomplished voice actor so he would have done well in the animated stuff, which also gives him opportunities to do action scenes without being young) he honestly probably would’ve been willing to reprise Luke up until he was in his 80s or even into his 90s, hell, Billy Dee Williams was just over 80 when he reprised Lando in TROS, and Luke wouldn’t even need an action-heavy role as he got older, as the Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order, he’d be able to have a similar role to Yoda in the prequels and The Clone Wars, where he provides wisdom and guidance the majority of the time, but he every once in a while he steps into battle, while the new characters go on the vast majority of the adventures. They really shit the bed with these new movies, because using the New Jedi Order with Luke as Grandmaster would’ve made them BILLIONS. I truly don’t understand how such a money-hungry corporation could’ve missed out on this, because using the NJO would’ve been like printing money. It’s genuinely baffling.

We could’ve had it all

Source

Source

For story purposes. It could’ve been like this. 

Luke starts to rebuild the Jedi by training his sister Leia. Leia could not fully commit to the Jedi because she had to lead the Republic as Chancellor, but she is made an honorary member on his Jedi Council. Leia would agree to be trained as a Jedi Master. Leia has a Yellow Lightsaber she keeps hidden should the moment arises. Leia’s most powerful force ability is Battle Meditation. After training Leia, Luke eventually encountered The Emperor’s Hand Mara Jade. Their dynamic and romance would be the same as in Legends. Eventually after Ezra Bridger returns, Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis, and Ezra Bridger return and join Luke’s Jedi order. The Jedi council would be this. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Mara Jade, Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis and Ezra Bridger. The new Jedi Order embrace both the Light and Dark Sides Of The Force instead of repeating the mistakes of the Jedi of old and so balance can be brought to the force. Balance would mean understanding both aspects of the force and you can indulge in your anger and more toxic emotions, but you can’t let them rule you and when you can come to peace with that, that’s when you have balance.

Also, Luke’s Jedi order would include multiple aliens species from Wookies, Twi'leks, Iridonians, Trandoshans, Mirialan and you get the picture. 

Finn would be a mix of Kyle Katarn and Finn Galfridian.

For those not familiar with either character. Kyle Katarn, a self taught force sensitive who was a former Imperial Stormtrooper that later became a Jedi Master, Battlemaster and a Jedi Council member. Finn Galfridian, a Jedi who is from Royal background and is part of the New Jedi Order who was being taught by Luke Skywalker Finn could still be a Stormtrooper that chose empathy and to walk away, this results in Finn becoming Force Sensitive and brought to be trained by Grogu. We would later find out that Finn is a lost prince of Royalty stolen by The Imperial Remnant. Perhaps, in this scenario. Finn could be the lost Prince of Naboo. Finn would of course continue fighting in the war, but with Artorias on the New Republic’s side, they will gave more funding and at least another ally. It would also provide Finn the ability to have a home for the Stormtroopers after Finn liberates the Stormtroopers from the Remnant. Finn could allow the Stormtroopers that still want to fight to serve in the Naboo military. The Naboo having weak defenses could greatly benefit from having trained soldiers serve them and if the Stormtroopers would prefer a peaceful life, Finn can offer them a civilian lifestyle away from the judgment the rest of the galaxy would give them for their past, even offering them reparations.

Also, Finn would find love with best damn pilot in The New Republic, Poe Dameron!

Luke and Mara would have a daughter. Kira Jade Skywalker(who of course would be Rey) she would grow up loved, with her family and with the Jedi. They would all truly be With her. 

Ben Solo, Breha Solo(Played by Billie Lourd) and Jaina Solo(played by Millie Bobby Brown) would be the Solo children. Ben, Breha, and Jaina would all grow up close and would thrive as Jedi while their parents would visit and shower them with the love they would naturally receive from Han and Leia as their parents and Han and Leia would stand strong together leading The New Republic

You could have Ben Solo being the most promising of Luke’s Jedi Knights. He can either stay as a Jedi or choose The Imperial Remnant and become Kylo Ren. The Jedi Order is split between the Jedi loyal to Luke and those loyal to Ben. I will say Ben’s fall would be similar to Jacen’s. Because he sensed something terrible coming. The Grysk. He feels that the Jedi and the NR would not be enough. So he gives in to Darth Plagueis and leads the Knights Of Ren. But when The Grysk attack, Ben shows us his true colors and returns to his family to fight The Grysk and unites both The New Republic and Remnant. 

If Ben doesn’t turn to the dark side, Ben would stay true to the Jedi and his family. Ben would lead the Jedi to face the Knights Of Ren and destroy Plagueis.

Together Kira, Ben, Breha, Jaina and Finn would rise together and destroy Darth Plagueis and end the Sith once and for all.

But that’s not the end, because The Grysk would invade the galaxy.

Towards the end of the Trilogy, The NR and FO will join forces to fend off The Grysk invasion. Sloane will call for a cease fire and signing a treaty with Leia, where The NR and FO align their forces and build The Galactic Federation. Building a better galaxy together. Leia's vision for a Republic and Sloane's virtues for the Empire.

We get the legacy characters getting treated with respect, we get the new generation built upon and being prepared for the coming war and are all treated as important heroes, we have a FO treated like strong villains and a stronger threat to unite both forces and we have peace in the end. This is how I think the ST should have been handled.

The theme should’ve been family. It’s about how the Skywalkers and Solos lead and protect the galaxy. How well Han, Luke and Leia became after the fall of the Empire and the upbringing of their children. It should end with all is well with the Skywalker and Solo families. Not end in misery.

As Carrie Fisher said

“It’s about family. And that’s what makes it so powerful.”

We could’ve had it all.

[meandmyechoes]

Dear Anon about the Video:

First of all, thank you, anon, for brining this to my attention.

Rationally, the gif probably went out of hand when it past 1k notes. The one before mine is made by @/mlmanakin​ from this set. They are the first two results on google when you type 'ahsoka and rex gif'. Just let it be known they couldn't bother to make their own clip or screencap but took two gifs off the internet. What does it say when a rex*oka shipper knows to credit a rex*oka fanartist but does not extend the same courtesy to gifmakers?

Can't believe I'm saying this again in 2022. I literally do not care about your shipping activities. I can only pray that newcomers have enough independent thinking to interpret canon without being misguided of what is mainstream in the fandom. Seeing Rex and Ahsoka romantically involved, as contradictory to canon as it is, it’s still an interpretive freedom I hold everyone to. However, what I find intolerable of the shippers, is how often they appropriate edits then put on such combative but hollow defence.

I can understand 'death to the author' but a gifmaker/fanartist/fan writer is literally NOT the author?? They are just a fellow fan and shouldn't you extend the same respect to their boundaries and intentions? It is as if they are entitled to any one making Ahsoka and Rex content having the same single point of view — theirs.

For me, every time conversation starts only after the hijacking of my non-ship post. As much as most in the fandom disapprove of it, there isn’t some kind of manifesto circulating condemning people for it. It comes up in individuals’ blog descriptions, but you don’t see a long post in the public TCW tag justifying why you should not ship it. The phenomena is definitely more prominent back when Season 7 was airing and there were just more traffic, as well as instagram algorithm allowing people to abuse irrelevant tags. Luckily or not, two years later, I haven’t seen a strong enough pro-ship argument based on canon character traits or interactions.

I literally cannot care because I've stopped making Rex and Ahsoka gifs/content for a while. The shippers as a catalyst withstanding. Which is terrible, because if I don't contribute to the sum of platonic Ahsoka and Rex content, the fandomscape will indeed by monopolized by the romantic stream I hate to see. Gresham's Law... how does one fight it...

It's a paradox. If I don't act on the problem, the situation deterioates, yet it is at my own expense and risks that I'm doing a 'public service'. I know I'm heavy with those words, but I also feel a sense of duty somehow. Not policing who you should or should not ship, but fandom etiquette about engaging with others' work.

I keep telling myself 'I don't fucking care' I start believing that lie (hoping to do that with live-action asherka), but things like this come back up and you either submit to reality or make a stand for yourself. I'm *this* close to quitting Star Wars (as an almagation of factors). The core of it is I'm SICK of tying a world I love, and has changed me for the better, with negative emotions anymore. Since the live-action debut, more than half the time I'm dealing with feelings of betrayal, anger, confusion, accusation and unfairness. I have enough in my life to feel sad about, thank you.

But I want to emphasize, anon, if you've read up to this part, that in no way you made a mistake in letting me know. It's not your fault, I don't blame you. Something like this is bound to happen, more than once, the moment I open the canvas. Heck, even before that because I kept seeing it happen to other gifmakers. I perhaps just underestimated how long that period would last. These thoughts were simply buried and made light of day only because of you informing me that. It's good to let things out.

[giggles-and-freckles]

i don't know if any of you are familiar with the concept of 'enneagram types.' if you're not, you can check it out here. lots of fun stuff to click around and read about if you're interested in what this even is. but i've been thinking about it in reference to some of our fave sw pals and have decided to do some character study via enneagram. first up: anakin skywalker in all his angsty glory.

Anakin Skywalker

Eight--The Challenger

Basic fear: of being hurt or controlled by others

Basic desire: to protect themselves and their loved ones

Anakin is an eight. Everything for him comes down to power and control. I believe his childhood as a slave is what really impacts this. He lived his entire childhood under the control of another and wanting to get out. Then, he found that freedom and essentially came under the control of something else (this is not to say that the Jedi Order actually functions as a slaver...but I think Anakin perceives it as that on several occasions). After the fall of the Republic, he becomes a slave to Sidious and the Dark Side. I would argue that the only time Anakin is every truly free is in his death, when he makes the completely independent decision to kill the Emperor. That dialogue between Luke and Ani is really telling, in my opinion.

“I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to save you.”

“You already have, Luke.”

Because that’s all Anakin ever wants, really. He wants to be saved. And he never quite understands that only he can save himself. This power complex is very aligned with an eight. He so desperately wants control...but so easily falls into bondage over and over again.

Eights commonly have a childhood trauma or Moment that “flips a switch” for them. It takes their innocence once and for all and replaces it with a hardness that wasn’t there before. I think a lot of arguments can be made for this. Perhaps it was some unseen moment offscreen prior to The Phantom Menace. Maybe he watched a fellow slave die. Maybe he watched his mother suffer in some tangible way. Maybe it happened between TPM and Attack of the Clones. But for the sake of this analysis, I’ll use the Tusken Raiders as the Moment. We see it affect him in all the ways one of these “loss of innocence” moments for an eight normally does. It’s a game-changer. In canon, it’s Anakin’s first touch of darkness. In the real world, it’s him dealing with insurmountable pain and suffering. Interestingly, we see that this “loss of innocence” directly counters the basic desire of an Eight, as well. Protecting self and loved ones. He fails to do that. He watches the one he loves the MOST die in his arms. Which--for an eight--is the ultimate form of pain. To lose a loved one feels like personal failure. You LET them die. You LET them suffer You could have SAVED them. But you failed. We see Anakin deal with this onslaught of emotions and then...we see him take action.

Eights are a part of the gut triad. This means before they think with their head or feel with their heart, they act with their gut. Their impulse. I don’t think anyone would dare to make the argument that Anakin leads with his head (sorry buddy...but you are Himbo Certified), but I can see arguments for Heart. My only real counter here is that the two greatly influence each other. And we see him ACT in tandem with his feelings. He doesn’t just sit in his emotions and mope. I’ll continue to use the Tusken incident. Immediately, without any hesitation, he acts on his anger. Anger is not a primary emotion, it’s secondary. I’m not in Anakin Skywalker’s head, but as an eight...I feel like I almost see where he’s coming from, even in his worst moments. Doesn’t mean I agree or that I would partake. But I understand (and it hurts me). I see so much fear for him. Fear that he’s not as strong as he wants to be, fear that he wouldn’t be able to protect other loved ones if something like this happened again, fear that he’s weak when it really matters. Like when the time comes to protecting loved ones. That’s why everything spirals so fast with Padmé. He immediately gets put into that fear mindset. That “weak” feeling of “I can’t do it, I can’t save her…..but I have to.” That conversation between the two of them on Mustafar is evident of this. “Love can’t save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that.” Because that’s what it comes down to for Anakin. His worth lies on his ability to save himself and the people he loves. That’s why his perception of love becomes very selfish. He begins to care about the act of salvation more than the person them self.

One of my favourite moments is the classic “this is where the fun begins.” It’s such a silly quick moment but it’s so revealing of Anakin’s character. Eights feel adrenaline like no other number. Their vitality is completely based in their ability to turn their raw energy into something GOOD. For example, doing dangerous dives and spinning (because it really is a good trick) for the sake of the Republic. It gives Anakin a sense of “YES! See how good I am? See how I’m using my aggression and strength for good?” Especially important for someone who has committed atrocities and inspired destruction. To turn around and use that energy and skill for good? That’s invaluable. I think that’s a reason Anakin fails to see the hypocrisy of the Republic.

“What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?”

“I don’t believe that. And you’re sounding like a separatist.”

When Padmé merely questions the point of the war he so immediately snaps back and makes it a personal betrayal. He’s so quick to turn down the slight implication that he’s fighting for the wrong side. Eights are all about sides. All about choosing. Anakin can’t begin to consider that maybe his Side isn’t so altruistic. It would crumble at his very core. This is where the Challenger (the moniker of an eight) comes in. They love to challenge the world around them but absolutely cannot handle when someone else is challenging it in contrast to them. Well...an unhealthy eight anyway. Healthy eights see the importance of contrasting beliefs and the power of refining conversations.

Eights want to ‘leave their mark’ on the world.

“I’m not the Jedi I should be. I want more. And I know I shouldn’t.”

This plays into the ‘deadly sin’ of an eight. Lust. This isn’t explicitly sexual (though I guess it can be, at times). It’s more of a desire for MORE. A need for more. It’s all about that power and control. An eight never quite feels satiated...at least not in their unhealthy state. Which Anakin invariably is in. An eight is always seeking things to satisfy them. Through people and power.They’re not concerned with the actual accomplishment, in the societal standard. Before Anakin is granted a seat on the council, we never see him express a desire to even have it. It seems like that’s completely a Palpatine thing. I can’t help but put myself in Obi-Wan’s shoes there. Seeing Anakin’s overreaction and wondering where it’s coming from. Because Anakin has never seemed like he wants to be on the council. Quite the opposite in fact. His tantrum about being denied the rank of master is really evident of the stake Palpatine has already dug into Anakin’s mind. Ann eight’s desire is personal. They don’t care if they have the top title or the most power from the POV of the world. They worry about their own standards. Which is difficult because we never quite manage to meet our own standards and end up in a lot of disappointment. Anakin holds himself to a hard standard. Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Ahsoka all seem to recognise that in him.

“But be patient, Anakin. It won’t be long before the COuncil makes you a Jedi Master.”

“To be angry is to be human.”

“Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own. Without the Council and without you.”

These encouragements are so unique because they ground Anakin in a very human way. They hit at his insecurities and remind him it’s okay. He doesn’t have to be all-powerful or perfect. Which they know he needs to hear because he can’t quite recognise these truths on his own. He needs the emotional coddling. Unfortunately, in these moments their words aren’t enough. Each of these conversations is characterised by impending sadness.

Eights are seen as the bravest people. I think this aligns well with what we know of Anakin. He has little to no hesitation when putting his life on the line. He volunteers for the most dangerous missions. Doesn’t bat an eye at horrific scenes. He’s willing to do the hardest and scariest things. He’s brave. He’s determined. When talking about Ahsoka, he says “no one has her kind of determination” to which Plo Koon immediately responds, “Except for you.” But this is such an interesting part of an eight to me because I believe eights are actually the most fearful of any number. Because what they fear is fear itself. They are so horrified at the prospect of being afraid it becomes almost dangerous. They will do whatever they can to mask that fear. Which is what puts a lot of eights into that anger reactionary position. A sort of ‘people can’t know I’m scared if I’m the one scaring others’ sort of mentality. The bravado, the courage–it’s all a facade to hide the fear that eights very uniquely do not feel qualified to experience on even the micro-level. It leads many eights to become dictatorial in the way they love others (which isn’t really love at all in the end). Pushes eights to commit atrocities in word or deed all for what they consider to be the ‘greater good.’ They push and prod at the lines a normal person knows not to cross. Not only do they cross them–they plow through them, hoping that it causes enough of a scene to distract from the fact that they’re just like everyone else. In fact, they’re even more vulnerable because no one has taught them how to exist in a state of need. No one has showed them how to ask for and accept help. Instead, they bottle it all up over long periods of times, releasing small bits in dramatic bursts of energy...until that line is crossed and all bets are off.

The goal of a healthy eight is to find a way to channel the aggression and drive into being the ultimate helper and advocate. Unfortunately, Anakin doesn’t get to this until the very end of his life. His fears guide him down a path of darkness. And we see him mask that fear with anger and hatred over and over again. That’s the way of the Dark Side so it’s no wonder it was so appealing to someone who had already been doing that without proper teachings. Anakin Skywalker had the potential to be one of the greatest forces for good in the galaxy. And for a split second at the end of his life, we see him do just that. It’s all the moments before, though; when he chose fear and anger and lust over and over again. Shoving strength and bravery into the vacancies of emotional competency. Until it all became too much.

[rangerslayer-97]

Galaxy-3 (Rebels AU) Meets Galaxy-29 (SW/Terminator AU): Ahsoka Swap (Again!) Part 2

I do not own any of the characters from Rebels AU, they belong to @sirloozelite who gave me permission to use them.

Side note: Any crossovers myself and SirLoozElite have done and in the past are not canon to our fics. They are merely for fun and adding more chaos XD

******

Clone Wars Narrator: Multiverse confusion once again! Ahsoka Tano of G3 has been swapped with another counterpart, G29 Ahsoka Tano, leader of the Machine Resistance. While she remains in the supposed home of a seemingly retired Sergeant Larte, the other Ahsoka is not doing so well after waking up from unconsciousness.

*3 BBY, Machine Resistance HQ, Unknown Planet, Unknown Region, Galaxy-29*

G3 Ahsoka: Can we please talk about this? *struggles in the metal binding cuffs*

Leia: If you killed our General, I swear to the Force! >:(

G3 Ahsoka: I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! SINCE WHEN AM I GENERAL!? I’M A RETIRED FULCRUM SPY!

Kallus: *holding a strange scanning device* Odd. The scanner isn’t picking up any microprocessor chip.

Leia: It should! *looks at results* Either something strange is going on or Skynet have developed another T-model, more advanced. One we haven’t seen since the T-800.

Kallus: Maybe it’s based on me. I’m a hybrid. Perhaps Skynet used blueprints of me and improved upon it. 🤔

G3 Ahsoka: YOU’RE A WHAT KALLUS!? 0_0

Leia: *sighs* Until we figure out what this imposter is, this base is under lockdown! You gotta pull the reigns in the General’s absence.

Kallus: Ah! I hate it when I have to. I protect the General, not lead in her stead! I’ve been protecting her since she was 16!

G3 Ahsoka: Since I’m not a threat, can you please let me out and I’ll talk peacefully! :(

Kallus & Leia: NO!!! 😡

G3 Ahsoka: 😢

Meanwhile in Galaxy-3

*3 ABY, Apartment, Moon of Alderaan, Galaxy-3*

Kaeden: 🤦‍♀️

G29 Ahsoka: *mouth half full* I can’t even remember the last time I had real food. I’ve been eating nothing but dried ration sticks.

Kaeden: So… you’re a version of my girlfriend, who leads a resistance against “terminators” after Skynet took over the galaxy.

G29 Ahsoka: *lays on the couch* Force! This is what a couch feels like? :D

Kaeden: Surely you experienced things that are normal… … …

G29 Ahsoka: Well… *munches on a raw Akul steak* when you have fought a war since 978 ARR, lived on the run from 980 ARR, and leading a resistance since 984 ARR, you really don’t have time for luxury.

Kaeden: Wait! You’ve been running since you were 16!? 0_0

G29 Ahsoka: What do you expect to happen when you’re a phophesised leader more important than the Chosen One? *shrugs*

Kaeden: I’m surprised how chill you are about this.

G29 Ahsoka: Well… being the daughter of a known terrorist who tried to bomb the Republic Senate and a father who turned out to be a Death Watch Foundling. Think I am chill about. I mean… I technically committed my own acts of terrorism with mom and Kallus trying to stop Palpy and failed. My dad went back in time to protect my mom, got her pregnant with me and died. I only saw my dad when he was still a kid.

Kaeden: I failed to follow all that… … …

G29 Ahsoka: Yeah. The timeline is finicky in my reality. It turns out when my dad was old enough, I sent him back to protect my mom. Enough about that. What else do you have to eat? Or drink. I’m still hungry! :D *gets up from couch for the fridge*

Kaeden: Force give me patience 😫🤦‍♀️

Morai: 😰

G29 Ahsoka (from kitchen): WIZARD!!! I DIDN’T HAVE BLUE MILK SINCE I WAS PADAWAN!

Kaeden & Morai: 😑

To Be Continued…

[tanyawritesstories]

Frozen Wounds | The Mandalorian x Reader pt. 5

Things are gonna go downhill today, guess what chapter we're on 😈 I believe there are only two chapters after this one. Also butterflies are called flutterbyes in the Star Wars universe now, I don't make the rules 😝😂 Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

Word count: 5.1k

Warnings: angst, sad times, fluff, mild nudity, canon violence, torture

•••

Tython was in the middle of nowhere in space, Din happened to notice as he input the coordinates into the nav computer. It had taken him several minutes just to find it in the star charts, let alone set a course for it. Just after they left Corvus they had stopped at a nearby planet for fuel and resources, that had been when he realized Y/N was wearing his clothes. He had given her credits to go buy some that actually fit her, as well as more ammo for her pistol.

He had asked her how she knew how to fight and she told him that her husband taught her. Some part of him didn’t think that was true. He was getting more in tune with her and could tell when she was lying. When he thought about it, he actually didn’t know much about Y/N, he assumed she had been born and raised on Tatooine, but what if she wasn’t? Who knew what kind of life she’d had.

Din eased the Crest into hyperspace and planned to go down into the hull and see what Y/N was up to. He’d been in the cockpit for almost an hour, by now the kid- Grogu. He had to remember that, his child had a name now. Grogu was fast asleep in his passenger seat and Din was content to leave him right there. He watched Grogu for a few minutes, smiling beneath his helmet. He double checked that the autopilot was on and quietly climbed down the ladder so as to not wake anyone. He turned and looked to his left, expecting to see the ship empty or perhaps Y/N sitting on the floor with Mandi.

Instead he saw Y/N in the middle of undressing. He couldn’t help but stare at her as she tugged her new pair of pants on and shucked off his shirt that she had been wearing, oblivious. His eyes wandered her exposed upper body, surprised to see scars here and there. His face was heating up, along with another part of his body, as his eyes roamed over her covered breasts. She turned around looking to see where she had put her shirt when she saw him. She squeaked in shock and covered her chest with her arms, Din shook himself out of his stupor and looked away, slapping his hand over his visor.

“Sorry, I didn’t-didn’t know you were….uh...occupied,” he stuttered out, once again thankful for his helmet as it covered his flustered expression. He heard her shuffling about trying to get dressed, her small grunts of effort suggesting she was having trouble. The sound of her knocking on some part of the ship got his attention but he didn’t look up. “Psst,” she tried to get his attention again. “Are you..covered? C-can I look?” He asked. She knocked twice again and Din slowly raised his head and lowered his hand from his helmet. She was holding his shirt over her chest to cover herself.

I can’t reach the clasp, can you get it for me?

Din saw the flushed and embarrassed expression she wore on her face, she didn’t want to ask him to do this. He saw a new bra laying on the crate beside her and his mind connected the dots. Maker, help him. She turned around and demonstrated, her arms couldn’t quite bend that much and her fingers came close to the clasp but couldn’t reach it. Din gulped and walked towards her, at least she was turned around and couldn’t see the predicament that was starting to make itself known on the front of Din’s trousers.

She signed a sorry to him as he fumbled with the challenging and tiny clasp, his leather gloves making it difficult. After a tense minute he got frustrated and took his gloves off. He hesitated and held his breath as his bare skin touched hers. He was able to undo the clasp with ease, his fingers gliding along her skin, feeling the softness. He let out a shaky breath as he gently pushed the straps off her shoulders. Her skin was so soft and warm and he could feel the muscles tense under her skin. He couldn’t help but rest his hands on her bare shoulders and hold them there.

Din could hear her slow breathing and see her breasts rise and fall, covered only by a small part of his shirt. She was able to slip the bra off without exposing herself. Din didn’t want to take his hands off her, he loved the feeling of her skin. What he wanted to do was turn her around to face him. He didn’t though, he just held her, content.

“You’re beautiful…”

The words were out before he could stop them. Y/N turned her head so she could see him. He thought she looked confused, maybe transfixed, like she was experiencing the same emotions as he was. Confusion. Attraction. Love? It was like a magnetic force was pulling them together. Her nose bumped his visor, his helmet the only thing separating them. Her lips skimmed over the Beskar as though she was wishing it wasn’t there. Her eyes found his through the blackened visor; this time Din didn’t feel vulnerable. He felt safe, comforted.

Y/N felt much the same way he did. The original feelings of shame and embarrassment had faded. Deep down she felt at peace, a realization hitting her. Her husband would want this for her, he would want her to be happy. Her mind was made up now, she loved this Mandalorian and his child. Now she had to wait for him to accept that he was too.

Their moment was interrupted by Mandi crying. “I, I’ll go get her…” he whispered. Din broke away and let Y/N get dressed while he checked on the baby and calmed himself down.

~~~~

It was finally in sight after a few hours in hyperspace, they were now approaching Tython. Grogu had woken up and was playing with the metal knob while Din watched him. Y/N had finished feeding Mandi and was going to head up into the cockpit when she heard Mando laugh. It made her smile, she’d never heard him laugh before. She stood at the bottom of the ladder listening to him talk to Grogu. What he said made her sad.

“But you have to agree to go with them if they want you to,” he spoke. “Plus, I can’t train you, you’re too..powerful..”

“I agreed to take you back to your own kind, so that’s what I need to do. You understand right?”

It sounded to her like he was more trying to persuade himself rather than inform Grogu. Y/N didn’t want anything to tear them apart. Especially that criminal Moff Gideon that Mando had told her about. The Crest entered the atmosphere of the hilly, rock covered planet. Din quickly spotted the temple Ahsoka told him about, or at least what little of it there was.

After circling the area on top of the hill, Din knew it was too small to land the ship. He would have to use his jetpack to go the rest of the way. That in itself presented an issue, how was he going to bring Y/N with? Previously he would have asked her to stay on the Crest, but now knowing she was a skilled and capable fighter he wanted her with him. For more reasons besides just having an extra pair of eyes.

Y/N exited the Crest with Mandi on her chest, stepping onto the grass and breathing in the fresh air. She saw Din standing a few feet away, his jetpack was attached to his back and he was tying a better and stronger leather strap onto his pulse rifle. He looked up and saw Y/N walking over to him.

What are you up to?

She asked with a smile, looking down at Grogu who was playing in the grass at his father’s feet. Din finished the new strap on the rifle, much more secure and nicer than the one Y/N had on it before. “I can’t carry these both, you want to use this?” He asked, holding the rifle out to her. “You seem to know your way around one.” She took the weapon in her hands and looked it over, nodding a thank you to him.

My husband had one he insisted I know how to use. He trained me until I was an expert with it, it was the exact same model as this one.

“Then whenever I’m not using it, it’s yours,” he said. She smiled and swung it onto her back, making sure the strap wasn’t across Mandi on her front. Din produced a thick leather belt with extra ammunition on it, also including her DT-22 in a holster. “I figured you could use one of these too,” he said. Y/N smiled and allowed Din to strap it to her waist. Now she had her blaster pistol and the pulse rifle she could use, as well as extra ammo for both. Din also let her keep the vibroblade she took. “Are you afraid of heights?” He asked. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, knowing there was another part to his question.

Not yet.

He beckoned her closer, bending down to pick up Grogu. “She secured tight?” He nodded to Mandi. Y/N nodded, asking him why. “We have to get up there,” he explained, “and I’m not going to make you walk.” She looked at him suspiciously and he asked her to hold Grogu. Din went to put his arm around her but figured he should ask first. “Can I…?”

Of course.

Din put his arm around her back and the other under her knees and swept her into his arms. She let out a small squeal before giggling. Mandi was secured to her chest and Grogu was held tight in her other arm, leaving Y/N to put her other arm around Din’s shoulders. “Hang on tight,” he told her, “I won’t drop you.”

How comforting.

She laughed at her own comment and held both children tight to her chest, her other hand gripping his cape. “Don’t worry, it’s not far,” he reassured. Din tightened his grip on her and powered up his jetpack, shooting into the sky. Y/N buried her face into his neck and he couldn’t help but smirk as he flew. It didn’t take long with how fast his jetpack was, a few minutes maybe, then Din was setting her down on solid ground. “You alright?” He asked. He held onto her, making sure she had her balance.

That was fun.

She answered with a smile. Din smiled back at her, though she couldn’t see it, and took Grogu from her arms. They approached the so-called Temple, and looked around. Din walked into the center and Y/N walked around the circular base, just inside the pillars. “I guess you sit here,” Din assumed, setting Grogu on the round stone. The child watched as his father expected something to happen immediately. Din activated the sensors inside his helmet and searched around for something he might be missing. He heard Y/N laugh and looked over at where she stood in the shade of one of the pillars.

Not everything the Jedi did was obvious. Just be patient.

Din sighed. He didn’t have patience right now. Grogu wasn’t doing anything special, just sitting and looking around, reaching for a flutterbye as it flew over his head. Din wanted to roll his eyes. “Oh, c’mon, kid.” He said exasperated. “Ahsoka told me all I had to do was get you here and you’d do the rest.” Din perked up at the sound of something coming closer, he looked up and saw a strange looking ship flying quite close to where they were. He jogged outside the circle to get a better view and Y/N joined him. Neither of them noticing the kid was starting to sense something.

The ship landed and Din made the assumption that whoever it was, they were looking for trouble. He couldn’t take any chances. “Times up, kid. We’ve gotta get out of here.” The pair turned around to see a transparent pillar of blue energy emitting from the stone and surrounding Grogu. The little one himself was sitting still with his eyes closed in concentration, he was definitely doing something now. Din approached the stone. “We don’t have time for this, we gotta get-”

The second he touched the field of energy he was violently thrown backwards a few yards. Y/N gasped and ran to help him up, asking if he was ok. He just nodded. “Hey, snap out of it, kid. We gotta get out of here!” He urged. The duo just stared at Grogu, he seemed perfectly safe and calm inside his little energy field. Din didn’t know what to do. He walked to the edge of the temple and realized he could see the other ship from there. He zoomed in on it and saw a robed, hooded figure exit the ship. Bad news, no matter who it was. Din drew his blaster and Y/N grabbed his arm, shaking her head.

“I have to go see what they want, they could be Jedi,” he told her. She looked nervous and he assumed she was scared for him. He took her other hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll come back, don’t worry,” he said. She wiggled her hand out of his and put it on the side of his helmet, drawing him closer to her. She pecked a kiss on his visor where she imagined his lips would be, leaving Din stunned.

I’ll keep Grogu safe, and watch your back from up here. Please be careful.

All Din could do was nod before taking off down the hill, blaster in hand. Y/N took point from just behind a pillar of the temple, watching Din as he moved and surveying the area. A reign of bullets shot at the ground in front of him and Din took cover behind a boulder, he peeked out from behind it and heard a voice address him.

“I’ve been tracking you, Mandalorian.”

Din watched as the hooded figure came to a stop on some rocks several yards away from him. He could see vague features of a man under the hood, he was older but still armed to the teeth. His expression was stern and his face was weathered, like he’d spent too many years on an unforgiving planet. Din spoke: “are you Jedi?”

Y/N watched through the scope as Din and the man talked, she wished she knew what they were saying. She had already picked out the sniper that the other man had positioned at a vantage point on the rock ledge above where Din and him were talking. She was easy to spot, her black and orange getup didn’t exactly blend in with the beige and green surroundings. The woman had her blaster rifle trained on Grogu, but Y/N knew the energy field would protect him. Any blaster bullets would either ricochet or be absorbed by it. Y/N herself was half hidden behind one of the pillars of the temple, she doubted the sniper could see her. She had the pulse rifle set directly on the other woman’s body, one misstep and she would be reduced to ash.

Meanwhile, Din was listening as the man explained that he had a sharpshooter on the ridge above them, who’s sights were locked onto Grogu. The shooter spoke and Din recognized her voice. Fennec Shand, he thought that other kid had killed her. Guess not. “Yeah? I have my own sniper, back up there, guarding the child and aiming at both of you. One wrong move and you’re both dead.” Din threatened. The man’s eyes shifted up to the rock where his companion was. “Shand.” “I got her, she’s not hiding as well as she thinks she is,” Fennec replied. Din shuddered at her words. The man suggested a peaceful interaction and Din reluctantly deactivated his whistling birds and removed his jetpack.

Y/N watched as the sniper got up and walked down by the other two men. Y/N checked behind her to see that Grogu was still… whatever he was doing he was keeping it up. She wanted to believe that these people were friendly now but she couldn't let her guard down. As Fennec explained how she was still alive, Din learned the name of the man.

Boba Fett.

He was claiming, and demanding, the armor Din had acquired from the Marshal on Tatooine, saying it was his. Din had a hard time believing that and he wasn't about to hand over precious Mandalorian armor to a man he didn't know. They were on the verge of coming to an agreement when the sound of another ship could be heard. Everyone looked to the noise and saw it was coming from a troop transport. Imperials.

The trio split up and Din began running back up to get the kid. Y/N stepped out from behind the pillar when he got close.

What's happening?

"The Imps are here, they want the kid," he explained quickly. Din once again tried to walk through the force field to get Grogu, but it was even harder this time. Din had to use a lot of his strength just to walk to the middle; only to get flung backwards again. He didn't understand what was really going on. He went to try and get through again, but before he could take a step Y/N stopped him with a hand on his chest.

The energy field is protecting him, you won't be able to get through it. We have to help them.

She motioned to the strangers who were currently holding back the waves of stormtroopers and making it look easy. Y/N didn't know who either of them were, but she wasn't about to let them take on all the troopers on their own.

All we can do is protect him until he's done doing whatever it is he's doing.

Din sighed. He didn't like the situation but what choice did he have. Plus, Y/N would be guarding the child and could grab him whenever he was free of the energy field. "Keep an eye on him. The second that field is down, grab him and get to the Crest," he instructed. Y/N nodded, she looked frightened again and Din wished he could think of some way to comfort her.

"We'll be ok," he told her. Those small words seemed to calm and focus her enough to smile at him.

I've got your back.

Din nodded and looked at Mandi, who seemed oblivious in her wrap. The little girl appeared content if not alert. "Keep them safe," he said before dashing down the hill to aid Shand who was surrounded by stormtroopers. Din braced himself against a boulder and fired his whistling birds.

Y/N picked off troopers with the pulse rifle, leaving piles of white armor behind. The second transport landed and she noticed that the older robed man wasn't anywhere in sight. A large explosion drew Y/N's eyes away from the scope. The sudden lack of blaster fire and noise, made her realize that it was quiet from behind her as well. She turned around and saw that the energy field was gone and Grogu was laying on the stone exhausted. She glimpsed through the scope once more to see the robed man annihilating troopers with a suit of armor similar to Din's. He was commanding all the attention and Y/N took her chance.

She slung the rifle onto her back and ran to Grogu, picking him up and holding him close to her. She made her way down the hill as fast as she could heading towards the Crest as the troop transports took off and tried to escape. Grogu, who was facing outwards and right beside Mandi, began reaching for the little girl’s hand. Y/N was getting down the hill at a decent pace. The Razor Crest was in her sights, even the noise of the transports exploding couldn’t distract her.

With her eyes set on the ship, Y/N noticed it was starting to rattle. She watched as it shook more violently, as if there was a quake happening only below it. She continued to run while watching and soon the Crest was lifted off the ground into the air. Y/N was stopped dead in her tracks and the sound of metal creaking drew the attention of the other three. Everyone was stunned as the Crest was lifted into the air and moved. It was almost like-

Y/N looked down at the children in her arms, Grogu and Mandi were holding hands while each of their other hands was outstretched towards the Crest. Din looked up the hill and saw Y/N and the children. He was in awe. The kids moved the ship far away from where it had been and set it down in a completely different spot. They both gasped in exhaustion from the effort they had just put in. Y/N was beginning to wonder why they did that when a blast as big as a meteor came down from the atmosphere, blowing a massive hole in the ground where the Crest had previously been.

Din was shocked motionless. How had the kids known that would happen? More importantly, who had shot? Din bolted to the Crest as Y/N once again started down the hill. She was about halfway down when she began hearing a sound similar to Din’s jetpack, only louder. She looked behind her and saw several dark figures descending from the sky. Those couldn’t be good. The two strangers began firing at the objects but their bullets only bounced off. Y/N knew they were after the child and as they drew closer she could see they were heavily armored droids. She had a split second decision to make.

Y/N curved her path, ducking behind a large boulder, out of sight from the droids. She unwrapped the cloth hood from her head and wrapped Grogu in it completely, leaving a small hole for him to breathe. She held him for a second and spoke in a hoarse whisper. “Take care of Mando, little Grogu.” With that Y/N set him on the ground in the safe shelter of the strong boulder, wrapped in her shawl that blended in with the ground. Clutching Mandi to her chest she emerged and began running back down the hill as fast as she could.

Din had started up the Crest and prepped it so he could take off at any second. He ran back outside, hoping Y/N was closer. He saw Boba take off, heading to his ship. Din ran to try and get to her, with Fennec right behind him. The droids were getting closer and Y/N moved her legs as fast as she could, jumping over and dodging around rocks. She shed the pulse rifle, running faster. She could hear them. The jets were so loud. She wasn’t going to make it.

One of the droids landed with a loud crash right in front of her, Y/N skidded to a stop and tried a different direction. There was a droid blocking her way, she went the opposite way, one there too. She was surrounded and the droids closed in. She could barely hear Din calling her name, he sounded so desperate. She hoped what she did had worked, the droids wouldn’t know which child they were taking. She held Mandi tight to her chest and stood still, waiting for the droid’s cold hands to grab her. Y/N closed her eyes.

The metal hands clamped down on her waist tight and secure and she was pulled against a metal body. Her eyes opened as her feet lifted off the ground, seeing Din and the sniper come within a few yards short of reaching her. She looked into his visor mouthing the words ‘I love you’ as the droids ascended and took her with. Mandi was now crying and Y/N sheltered her daughter’s head from the high winds, planting a kiss on her forehead and nestling her into her chest.

Din felt like his heart had gotten ripped out of his chest. He had gotten so close to reaching her and he fell short. He stared up at her as the droids carried her away, he read her lips. I love you. Din clenched his fists, why hadn’t he told her! He realized now that he felt the same way. He was in love with this woman and now she was gone, ripped from his hands, taken. Like everything else he loved in his life, it had been taken. He hadn’t even told her he felt the same way. He saw Fett’s ship following and told Fennec to get him to stand down. He watched in horror as the other man's words came through the comlink.

"They're back….the Empire…"

Din had gone from upset to angry. Scratch that, he was enraged. He knew who was on the bridge of the cruiser Fett was describing. And Din wanted to wring his neck. Fett came back and landed his ship, telling them that the droids had taken the woman into the ship and disappeared into hyperspace. Fett had just finished showing Din the chain code in the armor that proved it was his when all three of them heard a soft whining.

Din looked around and saw Grogu waddling towards them, dragging Y/N’s shawl wrap behind him with a little hand. He whined and lifted that hand into the air, as if showing them that she was gone. Din swooped the kid into his arms and held him, the realization of what Y/N had done entering his mind, making him want to scream and cry at the same time.

She had hidden Grogu and let the droids take her and Mandi, to protect Din and his child. She’d sacrificed herself and her baby to those monsters to make sure that Grogu and Din weren’t separated. She had known what she was doing. Din took her shawl from Grogu and held it in his free hand. He could still see the faint darker patch on it where she hadn’t gotten all the blood off from when he used it to clean her wound not long after they first met.

He turned and looked at the other two, not knowing what to say. “Thank you for your help, I’ll...figure it out from here….” Fett stopped him by saying that he had promised the protection of his entire group, not just Din and the child and would therefore help get the woman back. Din gathered up his pulse rifle and jetpack. “Meet me on Navarro, we’ll go from there,” he told the other two. Din boarded the Crest and set Grogu in his seat before taking off. Moff Gideon would pay for everything he had done to Grogu and everything he was going to do to the woman and child Din loved.

~~~~

Y/N woke up in a dark and cold room which she could only assume was a holding cell. It had been awhile since she was in one of these. As she gained her senses she touched her chest and found that Mandi was gone, she looked around the room, but she was alone. Y/N had lost consciousness when the droids flew too high and she couldn’t get enough oxygen. Whatever happened between then and now included them taking Mandi away from her, taking Y/N's weapons away, and throwing her into a cell. She hoped they had been more gentle with her baby. She registered the feeling of something colder around her neck and reached up, her fingers touching cold metal that she only assumed was...yep, shock collar. Was she really seen as that much of a threat?

Just as Y/N got to her feet the door to her cell opened and a man clad in all black with a flowing cape and an imposing attitude entered with a couple stormtroopers behind him. She glared at him with as much hate as she could muster. He just stared back, unamused and undeterred. “I wasn’t aware we had such an influential figure on board,” he spoke. His voice was unnerving, scarily calm and composed.

What have you done with my daughter, you asshole?

She signed snappily and with attitude, knowing he couldn’t understand her. “Are you going to speak or do I have to make you?” He threatened. She saw the troopers fidget with their blasters, probably getting ready to shoot her. She cursed at him in sign, asking again where Mandi was. The man sighed almost unnoticeably. “Do you know where the Mandalorian and the child are?” He asked. Y/N didn’t answer, he wasn’t going to make her speak. She only swore at him more in sign. The man rolled his eyes.

Are you going to keep cussing at me, or actually answer my questions?

Y/N’s eyes widened and the man chuckled at the fear in her eyes as she realized he could sign, and understand her every word. “Now that I’ve got your attention, do you know where they are?” She just stared menacingly at him, not saying or signing a word. “I would think such an important New Republic asset would want to do anything to protect the ones they love,” the man taunted, walking closer to her. He drew a hilt from his belt and with the press of a button a black, shimmering blade emerged from it. He held it inches away from her neck and she could feel the heat radiating off of the weapon.

I don’t know, but you’ll never find them.

The man turned the blade off and clipped it back on his belt. “Not to worry, I have a locator placed inside the Razor Crest. I’ll have them soon.” With that he turned to leave and she charged at his back. Y/N didn’t get very far as her collar was activated and she dropped to the floor, seizing from the electricity. The shocks turned off after a few seconds that felt more like minutes. The man knelt down next to her. “Don’t worry about your daughter, we have supplements to keep her alive for as long as we need,” the man said. Y/N looked up at him and growled. “You on the other hand, we have no use for. Thank you for your specimen.” He said before exiting the room, leaving the distraught mother on the floor, hoping her baby would survive.

[bedlamsbard]

I got a couple of different asks about Luke and Ahsoka in other side AU 10, so I guess I will just make it a regular post after all so I can answer all of them at once.

@slecnaztemnot: 

Okay i just read your latest other side chapter and I wanted to ask about Ahsoka and Luke dynamics. I wonder what exactly where their heretics disagreemts about the jedi doctrine? while i can guess some of the stuff like attachements i guess i mostly see ahsoka as nonjedi and therefore someone who should not be attached to doctrine about attachements (haha) so i am wondering how you see her. i would actually love your take on how their first meetings went. continued in next ask, 1/2

1/2 continuation since most people write them as Ashoka immediately spilling the beans about the whole Vader situation to Luke and yours Ahsoka didn't. So I am curious what do you think Ahsoka feels about it. I got of course lot of it from the fic itself so i am mostly asking about how did you base your interpretation, if that makes sense and what led you to the narrative choices to portray their relationship in such way.

@comentter:

I'm most interested in what Luke and Ahsoka know about each other. Luke doesn't know much about Ahsoka obviously, but does he have any idea why she seems to hate him? He must be desperate lol. And how much does Ahsoka know about what happened on the DS2? And how much does Kanan know about these events? What was Hera able to tell him and what else did Luke and Ahsoka tell him? I always figure that everyone but Luke and a few people he told (like Leia) think the Emperor and Vader from the DS2 explosion.

I now have this image in my head of Ahsoka spending time with Rex and her laughing as Rex does something like tell a joke or a specific gesture. Then Luke walks by, does the exact same thing and Ahsoka is like "Of course, you'd do this stupid thing, you idiot!" :D

I think shortly before I started writing this sequence I had seen some cute art of Luke and Ahsoka hugging, which is a pretty common art trope and which has never sat quite right with me.  I also have the tendency to want to do the opposite of common fanon, which I can’t leave out either.  I also wanted to logic out what the hell was going on with Ahsoka’s charaterization in her Mando episode on a Watsonian level rather than a Doylist one (which I did a few weeks ago), even if other side takes place well before Mando and doesn’t intersect with it in any meaningful way.

When it came to the Luke and Ahsoka relationship (or lack thereof), it came down to three questions for me:

Who knows what?

What do they know?

When do they know it?

I made the decision early on in the chapter to leave Leia out of this relationship entirely, since the new canon seems to at this point in time (within a year of RotJ) be keeping it relatively quiet that she and Luke are siblings, and it’s not something that Hera would have a reason to know.  (Note also that this entire sequence is told from Hera’s POV, which plays into the “who knows what when” angle.)

As per Rebels S4 (not the epilogue, because Mando’s thrown that out the window), Ahsoka knows (or has good reason to believe) the following:

Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, Sith Lord

Darth Vader was directly or indirectly responsible for the genocide of the Jedi Order and the deaths of any Jedi who survived the Purge (”you and your Inquisitors saw to that”)

Padme Amidala is dead

Obi-Wan Kenobi is dead (Obi-Wan was not dead, but she has no way to know this)

no Darksider can return to the Light side

At the end of RotJ (not taking into account anything that happened in the comics or ancillary novels, which I’m not up to date on), Luke knows (or has good reason to believe) the following:

Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker

everyone Anakin ever knew is dead, mostly because of him

Vader returned to being Anakin Skywalker at the end of his life

(Leia presumably also knows all of this, perhaps with a few more details based on things her parents might have told her, but her feelings about Darth Vader are: Bad, Do Not Want, to be glib about it.)

Now, there’s one other factor here, which is Rex.  Rex knew Anakin and knew Ahsoka and was in the Rebel Alliance -- we know that he was on Yavin IV prior to Luke’s arrival and we know that he fought in the Battle of Endor. (And turns up in a couple of scattered art panels from the comics.)  If we want to take his brief appearance in Galaxy of Adventures with Han Solo’s strike force as canon, then he may have also known Han and probably Luke -- certainly his ears would have pricked up at the name “Skywalker.”  (Okay, there’s one other factor, which is R2-D2, but Artoo never tells anyone anything despite knowing...everything. Or most things, anyway.)  Rex doesn’t seem to know that Anakin became Darth Vader (I believe there’s an interview somewhere where Dave or Pablo or someone says that a meeting between Rex and Vader would be “awkward,” but there’s no canonical reason to believe that he knew about the Anakin/Vader connection), but he probably found out at some point that the 501st was the battalion involved in the assault on the Jedi Temple.  He also, as of Rebels S3-4, assumes that Vader killed Ahsoka -- presumably Ezra would have told him as much as he could.  (And Ezra does know that Vader is Anakin, so he may have told Rex that as well.)  Rex also knows that Anakin Skywalker was having an affair with Padme Amidala, but presumably didn’t know about (a) the marriage or (b) the pregnancy, because how would he know?

Then we come to Ahsoka’s return and unfortunately the current canon gives us no time point for when it actually happened: presumably Ahsoka did not or could not return to the greater galaxy at the point she “left”, during the fight on Malachor (3 BBY), because as of Rebels S3-4 everyone still believes she’s dead.  Maybe she’s still stuck on Malachor without a way to get off, who knows; maybe after S4 Ezra grabbed her into the World Between Worlds she decided to stay on Malachor until she ~caught up with the main timeline, which...you then have to believe that Ahsoka is going to deliberately remove herself from the war, which I can get to, but is not something I’m totally comfortable with.  Or she pops out in the timeline at the same time that Ezra returns to the main timeline and is able to more or less immediately return to the main timeline narrative, plus or minus a few weeks.  (There are, after all, still a couple of Advanced TIE fighters parked in the Sith temple, even if they were potentially damaged in the temple collapse.  Ahsoka could have repaired them or used the comms systems to call for a pick-up -- this is, btw, what happens in Crown.)  We don’t know when the S2 finale scene/S4 WBW scene of Ahsoka walking back into the temple actually takes place in the timeline; it doesn’t have to be at the exact same time as the rest of the S2 finale sequence (since obvs Vader dragging himself out, Maul flying off, and the Rebels crew looking sad doesn’t all take place at the exact same time).

Other side AU is deliberately vague about when Ahsoka returns from the World Between Worlds/Malachor/to the Rebel Alliance; it’s not stated in the story, but I made the assumption that she came back shortly after the (non-epilogue) end of the Rebels finale, but was still deeply messed up from her Malachor revelations.  (Also, like, Sidious, I guess, but she was probably so messed up about Anakin/Vader that Sidious being around barely registered.)  Since she never seems to have held a formal position in the Rebel Alliance, I assumed that after she returned and let everyone know she was still alive, she then immediately took off to try and figure out what the hell happened with Anakin at the end of the Clone Wars, since she saw him like a week before he snapped and at the time he seemed fine.

The problem is that almost everyone involved is dead.

Now, at this point (shortly before Scarif and ANH), a few people are still alive who then die shortly, but whom Ahsoka may have no reason to believe were involved.  Bail Organa, for example, is still around, but aside from him being Padme’s friend Ahsoka doesn’t have a reason to know that Bail was there when Padme died -- and since they were in contact for the nineteen years preceding there’s no reason for her to assume now that he was keeping something for her.  Back in the comics (before I stopped reading them), Vader did some digging to figure out what was going on with Padme and his child; Ahsoka probably would have done the same digging (without having to torture anyone), but without necessarily knowing that Padme was pregnant.  Knowing the date of Padme’s death (same as the Republic, essentially), she may have had a previous assumption that Padme was assassinated on Palpatine’s orders, but knowing that Vader is Anakin probably moves that assumption closer to the truth, that Anakin was somehow involved in Padme’s death one way or another.  Sooner or later Ahsoka will turn up the fact that Padme was pregnant, come to the obvious conclusion that Anakin was the father, and possibly find out the same thing that Vader does in the comics -- that the child was born before Padme died.  (But also probably not that Padme was carrying twins, but even if she found that out, it wouldn’t make a difference.)

While Ahsoka is doing her digging (and there really isn’t much information out there to find), the events of Rogue One and ANH happen, and Ahsoka comes back to the Rebel Alliance to find out which of her friends are still alive.  (Maybe Rex is with her at this point, who knows.)

Everyone in the Rebel Alliance is talking about some young hotshot named Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker who has a very familiar lightsaber, who claims his father was Anakin Skywalker, and who had some kind of relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who turned up on the Death Star, fought Darth Vader, and died.

Ahsoka has just spent the past few months trying to figure out what happened with Anakin, and as best she can reassemble the facts it mostly comes down to “Anakin did something dumb for Padme, that something dumb was ‘turn to the Dark Side and kill literally everyone,’ and then Padme died, the Republic was overturned, and the Jedi Order was wiped out.”  Ahsoka presumably walks into a room, hears the name Luke Skywalker -- maybe sees him -- and is all at once face to face with the living evidence of just how badly Anakin fucked up.

This is just too much for Ahsoka to deal with at the moment, so she takes off again, and spends the next five years brushing in and out of the Rebel Alliance doing odd missions that can really only be done by a trained Force-user.  Rex, who seems to have a more stable position in the Alliance, is always going to side with Ahsoka over anyone else; if she tells him not to tell Luke that she knew Anakin, he won’t.  (And for that matter, he may have somewhat fraught feelings about Luke himself.)  She may have the odd interaction with Luke -- who has heard that there’s another Jedi in the Alliance and wants to be friends/get real training -- but Ahsoka just does not want any part of this. It’s irrational! She knows it’s irrational! But this is the living evidence of Anakin’s failure, Anakin who last she saw him TRIED TO KILL HER, who was at least partially responsible for the deaths of everyone she ever knew.  (And honestly, finding out that Vader topped it all off by killing Obi-Wan is not going to help.)

Ahsoka may also be feeling a certain amount of survivor’s guilt: if Ezra had not pulled her out of the Malachor temple at that exact moment, she came pretty close to bringing the temple down on both herself and Vader, and may have succeeded in killing him.  She did not do so, and who knows how many people died because of that in the years between Malachor and Yavin?  (Just because Tarkin was the one who gave the order doesn’t mean that Ahsoka may at least partially blame Alderaan’s destruction on Vader, if she knew he was on the Death Star then.) She knows he killed Obi-Wan.

The Yoda lineage is very good at going “yikes, I am going off to live alone and beat myself up over my failure for years” and Ahsoka is very much an example of that lineage.

She and Luke have a relationship of “Hi, I’m Luke Skywalker, do you want to talk?” and “I have to leave immediately,” maybe with the odd “please stop using that lightsaber grip it is physically painful for me to watch, do it like this instead, okay, bye.”  Luke probably told all of two other people about what happened with Vader on the Death Star, Leia and Han; he has no reason to tell anyone else about it because it won’t matter to them.  Why would he tell Ahsoka, whom he has no relationship with?  He doesn’t know that Ahsoka knew Anakin Skywalker and would only know if one of four people told him: Ahsoka herself (no), Rex (no), R2-D2 (maybe), or Admiral Ackbar (would never have occurred to Luke to ask, might have occurred to Ackbar to say).  (We also don’t know that Mon Mothma knew Ahsoka very well, or at all, for that matter; they never interacted in TCW.)

As for her swinging harder into overt Jedi-ness by Mando after her blatant “I am no Jedi” of Rebels, it reads to me as a response to the Anakin/Vader revelation (especially the attachment thing).  She had made certain assumptions in the TCW period (see her saving Rex in the TCW finale) and prior to Rebels; Kanan’s method of Jediness was something she could accept in the time period and in those circumstances; the Anakin/Vader revelation shattered all of that, followed immediately as it was by Kanan apparently going full Jedi self-sacrifice despite his attachments.  (Her reaction to Ezra being a trauma response about two very different circumstances.)  All of a sudden what she thought might have been mutable based on the circumstances became something that had to be adhered to in case of dangerous results, which she had just had brought home to her in extremely bad circumstances.

I made a crack somewhere about Mando’s central tension being between “being Mandalorian” and “being doing Mandalorianness”; I think in the post-OT period with Ahsoka and Luke we’re seeing something similar with “being Jedi” and “being doing Jediness.”  Even if Ahsoka isn’t actively claiming the title Jedi anymore (because what does that accomplish in most contexts?), she’s leaning far more into the tenets of the Jedi Order -- which Luke doesn’t know and doesn’t know he doesn’t know.

Thus the doctrinal dispute.

Ahsoka grew up in the Jedi Order.  That’s what she knows, that’s how she knows how to be a Jedi; for her being a Jedi is being part of the Jedi Order, whether or not the actions associated with performing Jediness are being actively practiced.  Luke doesn’t have that context.  For Luke, being a Jedi is...being doing Jediness.  (This is super awkward phrasing.)  Performing the actions of a Jedi.  Luke has a few holocrons, but I’m guessing that a lot of what is on those holocrons makes the assumption that whoever is opening with them has the context of being a part of the Jedi Order and doesn’t explain really basic stuff about the Order or what that means.  Luke’s Jedi Order is not going to be the Republic Jedi Order made anew; it’s going to be something that has a resemblance to it and is based on a similar view of the Force, even arguably its heir, but is just not going to be the same thing.  It can’t be.  Luke doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

Kanan, of course, is coming into all of this from a similar context as Ahsoka: he grew up in the Jedi Order, it’s what he knows, it’s who he is.  Except Kanan never walked away from the Order, so while Ahsoka had been disconnected from her Jediness at the time of the Purge, he never lost his -- part of Ahsoka’s tension from TCW S7-Rebels was “I can’t be a Jedi because the Order is gone” and Kanan’s was “can I be a Jedi without the Jedi Order?”  (Ezra is a whole ‘nother thing but is somewhat outside the scope of this.)  The Jedi Order never factors in Luke’s Jediness at all.  (There’s some lineage doctrinal dispute here as well -- the Yoda lineage seems to be very closely connected to the Order as the font of Jediness, the Windu-Billaba lineage somewhat less so.  The Yoda lineage is like...the hardcore conservatives of the Jedi Order, though, and are probably not typical.)

Poor Kanan came back from the dead, after a week in another universe (which had its own problems; he’s been trying to very gently convince his counterpart that even after being an Inquisitor for months he can still be a Jedi), into Luke trying to build a new Jedi Order from scratch, Ahsoka firmly believing it couldn’t and shouldn’t be done and not wanting to be in the same room as Luke at all (not to mention that she really did not believe that they should have gone for “hey, let’s send Hera Syndulla to another universe” as even being an option), and both of them having essentially incompatible notions of being a Jedi at each other -- this is probably the most time Luke and Ahsoka ever spent in each other’s presence.  They’ve probably never articulated their problems at each other, just assumed that the other knew them.  And Kanan has his own “how to be a Jedi” approach, which is from a very different than either Ahsoka or Luke because despite originating from the same context as Ahsoka, he had a very different path to get to his present position.

As for what Kanan knows -- uh, pretty much only what Hera knew, and Hera knew very little?  She was friendly with Luke and Leia, but didn’t have much interaction with them -- she states that she had a tendency to avoid Luke because even if she would never say it to Luke’s face, she silently believes that if any Jedi should have been in the Rebel Alliance, it should have been Kanan and Ezra and not this relative newcomer.  If the Death Star 2 news about Vader and Palps was never common knowledge, then Hera wouldn’t have known it.  Kanan’s in a position of having to play catch-up, but also having a completely different priority (finding Ezra).  He sat through this meeting where after they’d finished grilling him on “you were in ANOTHER UNIVERSE and also you CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD?” they politely sniped at each other with a bunch of context he didn’t have and flat out decided that wow, he did not want to deal with this at all, whatsoever.

(This is also not stated in the story, but Luke and Ahsoka also disagreed about whether Jacen should be trained or not: Luke said, yeah, of course, when he’s a little older! and Ahsoka said nope, he’ll be fine, it will go away. Hera was just very “...I will deal with this later” about it since it wasn’t an urgent issue.)

[hellsbellschime]

Why The Hell Is The Mandalorian So Awesome?

Now that the second season of The Mandalorian has come to it's end, it seems readily apparent that the Disney+ series is the unexpected future of the Star Wars universe. The rocky reception of the sequel trilogy unsurprisingly left a lot of fans wondering if Disney was about to run the Star Wars franchise into the ground, however Mando's massive success with casual fans and Star Wars junkies alike made it seem like there was actually hope for the Star Wars expanded universe to become everything that everyone wanted it to be. 

But one of the most interesting aspects of The Mandalorian's success is the fact that, even in comparison to the prequel and sequel trilogies, the series somehow feels like "real Star Wars" when so many previous installments have felt like off kilter imitations of the original trilogy. And, given that The Mandalorian doesn't actually have much roots in the original Star Wars world, how is it that it's managed to feel like the essence of Star Wars when the actual prequels and sequels did not?

Nostalgia is a difficult thing to capture and recreate in something new, as the most recent spate of Star Wars films have very painfully illustrated. With the exception of Rogue One and perhaps The Force Awakens, nearly every Star Wars movie that has been released in the last few decades has felt more like it was diminishing the original movies instead of enhancing it. But it also makes The Mandalorian's success more interesting, because it provides very clear contemporary comparisons for what seems to work in the new Star Wars universe and what doesn't. 

It can be incredibly difficult to capture why a movie or TV show makes people feel the way that they do though. It may be easy to point out that the story of The Mandalorian makes more sense than the sequel trilogy or the characters are written better than those in the prequels, but there is that certain je ne sais quoi element of something just feeling "right" while something else just feels "wrong". But what is it that The Mandalorian did that nailed that Goldilocks zone of not too hot, not to cold, but just right?

One aspect of this season that undoubtedly stuck out to most viewers is that it felt like an anthology of the Star Wars expanded universe's greatest hits. Every episode seemed to introduce a new character or mythological concept that got Star Wars fans seriously excited, but it also seemed to move on from those ideas pretty quickly. It almost felt like Din and Grogu were travelers who randomly intersected with important stories in the Star Wars galaxy but didn't really become a part of those stories. Although this hit and run style of episodic storytelling probably left a lot of fans wanting more, that in large part is why the series has been so effective so far. 

In fact, what seems to be making The Mandalorian feel like the most Star Wars thing since Star Wars is just that. It's a series that is going out of it's way to acknowledge the mythology of the world that it occupies as well as bringing in characters that the audience all desperately wants to see, but it's not trying to expand upon or alter those characters or that mythology in any way. 

There are plenty of examples of this throughout the season, but the best is almost undeniably Boba Fett. Despite the fact that Boba Fett feels like he played an enormous role in the season overall, nothing about his character or story arc expanded upon his characterization any further than the mainstream audience was already familiar with, but he also appeared to be the badass bounty hunter that fans had imagined he would be for decades prior. 

And the season did this with nearly every significant Star Wars universe character that was introduced. Characters like Bo-Katan, Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker all played significant roles in moving the story along, but that is solely what they were there for. It didn't feel like they were stifling the narrative or eclipsing the story of Din and Grogu, and most importantly it didn't feel like the show was trying to force them in where they didn't belong. They showed up, offered enough breadcrumbs to keep fans interested, and they played the roles that everyone had always wanted to see them play without being shoehorned into the narrative unnaturally. 

In contrast to something like the sequel trilogy, it's easy to see why The Mandalorian succeeded where the latest movies have failed. Nostalgia is obviously something that is best used as inspiration sparingly, because once the image that fans have had in their minds for decades is being altered for the sake of connecting a new story to an old one, it immediately begins to feel forced and makes both the contemporary storyline and the nostalgic references feel like puzzle pieces that don't quite fit together. 

Clearly, doing something like making the protagonist and antagonist of the main storyline a Palpatine and a Skywalker, and bringing an ancient villain back from the dead makes it feel like the franchise is trying to beat a literal and metaphorical dead horse, and by significantly adding on to the earlier storyline both the old story and new story feel diminished. But in relative comparison, it's easy to see why The Mandalorian finally feels like Star Wars reborn, because it's giving fans all of the references and cameos that they dream of seeing but it does nothing to change it's iconic characters or mythology, nor does it try to expand upon the mythology to the point where it sort of loses the magic that it once held like the prequels did by overly explaining the Force with midichlorian counts. 

Another aspect of The Mandalorian that really worked in it's favor was that it's a series that caters to any level of Star Wars fan, and it utilized the available cast of characters and lore to fill roles that needed to be filled within the story anyway. If the narrative needs a Mandalorian to meet a future Jedi, why not make a character like Grogu, who will be immediately identifiable to even the most casual of fans in addition to being a vital character in his own right. If Din and Grogu are looking for Jedi, then why not throw in characters like Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. 

But what makes it work even more effectively is that the audience doesn't actually need to be familiar with all of this lore in order for it to be entertaining. Someone who doesn't know who Bo-Katan Kryze is can still be intrigued by a badass warrior princess who is looking for her super cool lightsaber. And someone doesn't have to be extensively familiar with the Star Wars universe and know the entire history of the darksaber to know that it's a cool looking weapon and that it's uniqueness likely denotes some level of importance within the overall narrative. 

Interestingly, someone with no base level knowledge of Star Wars could start watching The Mandalorian and still be interested in the story and find most of these characters compelling, which again, seems to stem from the fact that while they're iconic characters in the Star Wars universe in their own right, they aren't being shoved into the storyline just for the sake of appealing to Star Wars fans, they're all there to actually do something that is relevant to the narrative, and once that relevance has come to it's conclusion, they don't stick around unnecessarily. But the audience of Star Wars is broad and has differing layers of depth, there are casual fans that will pick up on 30% of the references and super fans who will pick up on 90% of them, but they can both equally enjoy the story because all of these references actually serve a purpose within the narrative. 

So it would seem after years of trying and billions of dollars worth of investment, The Mandalorian has finally found the sweet spot of continuing the Star Wars universe. It's about creating a story that works as a standalone piece and that incorporates earlier Star Wars lore when it's actually necessary, but that doesn't attempt to build it's narrative solely around previously established canon, and that most importantly doesn't go out of it's way to just tell the same story again with a slightly different cast of characters who it turns out are even closer to the characters that they replaced than it first seemed.

It's about ensuring that the memorable and fully established characters remain in character, and it's far more important to maintain that character continuity and write a character out of the story if needs be instead of altering established characters in order to keep them in the narrative. If the characters within the story can have an organic reason for interacting with the previously established characters then it can be a thrilling moment for fans, but if the narrative has to create excuses in order to bring characters together, then it's going to feel forced and have the opposite effect on the audience that it's meant to.

And of course, most importantly, it's about building a new story within the foundation of a specific fictional universe, but it's not about relying on that universe to tell the story on it's own, and it's certainly not about relying on stories that have been told before or reimagining them and telling them again. And, if The Mandalorian and the larger Disney Star Wars universe can actually maintain that balance, it looks like it could become the live action expanded universe that fans have been dreaming of for decades.  

[legobiwan]

What do you think Qui-Gon would have thought of Ahsoka?

You know, I think of all the Lineage, Ahsoka would have been the best equipped to deal with and train with Qui-gon. (And I know it seems like I am constantly laying into Qui-gon, but it’s mostly because his relationship with Obi-wan (and Anakin, but mostly Obi-wan) was super-complicated and they, in a lot of ways, brought out the worst in each other, not to mention kicked off some rather galaxy-changing events.)

But I digress.

The thing is, Ahsoka is so stable in comparison to Anakin (who it is obvious is a loose canon) and Obi-wan (who does a bang-up job pretending he’s not a loose canon but totally is one, for different reasons). But Ahsoka - yes, she’s brash and impulsive (like any teenager), but she also firmly believes in doing good, and trying to adhere to the Code while doing so without being hidebound to it. And I think that would be a great match with Qui-gon, who shares that type of outlook.

And the thing is, Ahsoka is a pretty direct communicator. Unlike Obi-wan, who tended to swallow all of his disagreements with Qui-gon and blame himself, Ahsoka would totally call out Qui-gon on his behavior. (I mean, she did with Anakin, so there’s reason she wouldn’t do the same with Qui-gon.) And I think Qui-gon would, at first, bristle at this but come to enjoy the challenge, in a way. 

Unlike Anakin, who, as I’ve mentioned before, is a pit of neediness and therefore would probably not gel long-term with Qui-gon “I inherited my Master’s emotional distance but hide it better with my hippie Living Force persona” Jinn. Ahsoka, however, has multiple dads across the Order, including Plo and Obi-wan and Anakin, and therefore wouldn’t be as reliant on Qui-gon being her emotional base as Anakin might.

But that’s not quite your question, is it? Hahahaha

Anyway, I think Qui-gon would love Ahsoka. Would enjoy her ability to question, to not always do things “by the Code” while still staying within the parameters of the Light. In fact, he might find her a little too rebellious at times, given the antics she and Anakin got into, and perhaps a little too mouthy (again, Qui-gon is so Dooku’s student in this way. If I may go off on a tangent for a minute, Qui-gon is totally willing to break all the rules for himself and his Padawan but their relationship is far more conservative in terms of Qui-gon’s expectations for a Padawan’s duties. Compare this with Obi-wan and Anakin. Obi-wan who was not prepared to be a single dad to a very non-traditional student and while he tried to be the hard taskmaster Qui-gon was, that a) wasn’t his personality and b) was bound to fail to some degree given Anakin’s sheer bullheadednesss. And then, of course, Anakin and Ahsoka had a far more sibling-like relationship, which makes sense, given they were so close in age.)

What would have been interesting would be if post-trial!Ahsoka had met up with Qui-gon. I’m sure Qui-gon would understand Ahsoka’s bitterness towards the Jedi, but might have looked askance at the way she was kind of subtly trying to “get back” at the Council by not giving certain information and backing Obi-wan into a corner where he (once again) defied a million Republic laws to invade a neutral planet. Then again, if Qui-gon were around, maybe the two of them just would have forgone Republic aid altogether and gone in guns a-blazin’. :D

[reynesofcastamere]

Pressure Points[β]

(A/N: The prompt I got for this was ‘Maul giving Ahsoka some NSFW stress relief.’ And. Uh...Well, I’m not sure if this is what you wanted, anon. But it’s what you’re getting. ORZ. So yeah, this gets fairly dark. Readmore is going under my notes again. Warnings for: blindfolding, non-negotiated bondage, dubious consent/morals, possessiveness, mentions of past self-abuse(reckless sexual behaviour/masochism) and sensory deprivation. I’m...not certain whether some of Maul’s lines fall under gaslighting or any other form of verbal/emotional abuse, but keep an eye out for those too. Potentially triggering sections have been marked off with ‘****’. This takes place about 2-3 years after ROTS and events are closer to canon (ie Maul is a crime boss but Death Watch and the Nightbrothers aren’t allied with him). Unbeta’d.)

There is tension in her frame as she waits, the strip of black cloth about her eyes her only adornment. Marks cover her, old and new, dappling the sunset colour of her skin with sharp points of red and pools of purple, blue, and yellow. They are not his work, nor do they belong to a single individual. Such a curious creature. Ahsoka Tano is knelt on a large cushion in front of a chair, the very image of powerlessness and debauchery. And yet... “Are these meant to provoke me?” Maul questions, fingertips trailing from the centre of her back and over one shoulder as he circles around her to take his seat. “Or have you come to request my aid in killing those responsible?” The latter seems unlikely, given her limiting morals and considerable skill, though the prospect does intrigue him.  “Neither.” She murmurs, voice slightly roughened from strain as he cups her jaw in one hand, slowly tilting it upwards. The blindfold only prevents him from reading her eyes, but there is a wealth of information waiting in the tempo of her breath and heartbeat, the subconscious tells of movement and expression. “Don’t pretend you’re concerned for anything other than your own ego.” The bitter tone to her voice is hardly subtle, though. “If you wished to avoid interrogation, you should have been more patient.” He coaxes her upwards with guided touches until she sits bestride his thighs. “Instead you summon me here, covered in these tokens-” A single fringertip traces a line from her lower abdomen all the way up to the edge of the blindfold. “-and this insulting barrier.” She jerks her head away when he toys with the edge of it, clearly not willing to relinquish whatever ‘safety’ it afforded her. “What am I to do with you, my Lady?” “Don’t. I’m not yours. Not-” Ahsoka trembles as he discards his gloves to touch her properly. His hands stroke her outer thighs, over her backside and up her spine to curve around and palm her breasts. He indulges himself for a few moments, tasting the vulnerable skin that rests above the pulse beating in her neck as the callused pads of his thumbs rub and circle her stiffening peaks. “Reluctance does not become you.” Maul whispers as her hips twitch, hands blindly seeking out the armrests and gripping them tightly, as if to anchor herself. Or perhaps, to  have something else to touch besides him. “Evil.” Her reply comes, followed by a sharp cry when he roughly tugs and worries at her nipples with his fingers. He is familiar with this kind of deprivation: How taking away one or all of the senses can increase the body’s reaction to pain. Such knowledge had never been meant for the purposes of pleasure; of making another being pant and writhe, seeking more. The first -and only- time he’d had the satisfaction of seeing her in this state was a far more...rushed affair. Punctuated with savage cacophony, nails and teeth tearing at each other as they were swept into a frenzy of unrestrained lust. There simply hadn’t been the time or inclination to truly explore her. But now... He laughs, soft and brief and cruel. “And you know for a certainty that none of your paramours were thieves, murderers, or worse?” One hand trails downwards, stopping just above her sex. The edge of his thumb just barely teases her engorged nub, drawing out a shaken exhale. “Or am I to believe that you screened every one of their backgrounds personally.” A statement of dry scorn as he observes her internal struggle, seemingly repulsed by and drawn towards him all at once. “It’s not the same. They weren’t-I don’t even have a word for what you are.” Ahsoka retorts, low and tinged with sanctimonious fury. She hisses when he slips a single digit inside her, a frission of genuine discomfort travelling up her spine and into her shoulders. Hm. She is certainly wet enough, so the soreness in her channel cannot be his doing. He will need to prepare her gradually if he wants to achieve much more than this. “Oh, but you do. Say it.” “...Monster.”

“Yes.”

“You’re not even going to try and deny it?” “A waste of my time and an affront to your intelligence.” He hasn’t stopped touching her this whole time, lips ghosting along her throat as his fingers carress her, inside and out. Her hips are rolling in minute increments, her grip on the chair practically white-knuckled at this point. Maul pauses for a few moments to remove his upper garments, pry her hands loose, and place them on his back. Specifically, on the furrows she’d left in his skin over the course of their heated entanglement.  ****

“I can’t do this.” She breathes, fingers clenching as the heel of his right palm drags over the bundle of nerves at the apex of her slit. “Mmmn...-haaahh- It’s...it’s wrong.” Her back arches as he re-inserts one digit, then another, still providing the friction that’s causing her to start losing coherency. “An interesting choice of words.” They imply a certain degree of...latitude in her thinking. That it is some form of obstacle preventing her from giving in, rather than a total resistance to what is happening.  “What’s that supposed t-ahhhhn-to mean?” Ahsoka demands, before their lips meet. It does not take long for her to melt, moaning as his tongue teases her lower lip, then lightly draws it between his teeth. When he pulls back, it is purely to admire the image of desirous ruin she inspires, flushed and breathing raggedly as she trembles. “Do you not realize how close you are to oblivion?” He curls the digits inside her for emphasis, feeling her jolt at the sensation. She has been attempting to shield herself from him in the Force, but Maul is both relentless and patient, and the conflict in her is simmering so very near to the surface.  “If you are so diminished by wanting this from me, leave.” His free hand digs into a set of bruises on her right hip, her hands clenching against his back as her core quivers. “Run back to your masters, secure in your nobility and virtue, but know that the monster you marked will never touch you again. Not unless you beg, Ahsoka Tano.”  It is a clear choice. She cannot accuse him of being obscure or unreasonable in his logic or wording. Yet she does not move away or speak. In fact, her jaw is clenched so tightly that one might worry for the state of her teeth. With how...outspoken she usually is, this development is quite odd. He lightly scrapes his teeth over her pulse point as he puzzles it out, circling the fingers still buried inside her. She is visibly struggling now, caught between body and mind as she clings to the last vestiges of self-control. “Ah...” Maul breathes in sudden epiphany. “There it is. You cannot bring yourself to ask for these...perversions.” The stiffening of her posture and the turn of her head is all the answer he needs. “So be it.” He tears a strip of cloth from his shirt, using one hand and some assistance from the Dark Side to tie her wrists behind her back. “I will ignore your sorrow, your guilt, your shame, and you will have the comforting illusion that this is not your choice.” He bites down on her throat as she comes apart, voice and Force signature finally released from their self-imposed restraints. The chaos in her is so exquisite that he cannot resist being overtaken, keening and snarling into his own climax.  

****

There are long moments spent between regaining breath and sense of self, but she does not object when he changes their positions and spends a full hour pleasuring her with a clever mouth and dextrous hands; her releases bestowed as gentle gifts. Nor does she protest once he bears her down onto the floor and claims her again and again, their mutual cries filling the enclosed space with each brutal thrust. Maul is merciless as Ahsoka pleads for him to slow down, that he’s splitting her apart, and she can’t possibly come again. He simply folds her in half, legs placed over his shoulders as he proves her wrong. The final climax is wrought in shrieking agony for them both. It is almost...cleansing, in a way. He pulls out cautiously, readjusting her legs to a more comfortable position before untying her wrists. Ahsoka is limp and pliant, chest heaving with gulps of air. When he removes the blindfold, it is easy to see why. Her eyes are reddened and watery with unshed tears, haunted exhaustion making the blue of her irises lifeless and hollow. His lips press tenderly against her forehead as she closes them. “Shh. Sleep now, ja’ti mirtis {my death}.” He rumbles, just enough of the Dark Side layered into his voice to compel her obedience. A feat that would not be possible without her...current state. Perhaps it would be best to keep her with him for at least a few days, if not longer. His current base of operation is not far, and in this way he can be assured that she is only scratched, not shattered. The Rebellion will whine at him for absconding with their precious former Jedi, no doubt. Let them. He has had larger headaches than their petty grievances and slights. The only outrage that will matter is Ahsoka’s, once she regains herself and takes her freedom. Until then, she is his, and he will tend to her as he sees fit. (A/N: MAUL, ABDUCTING PEOPLE IS NOT HOW YOU SHOW PROPER AFFECTION OR AFTERCARE, FFS. -_-*** So yeah. I might do a single follow-up to this later from Ahsoka’s POV, depending on a number of things. This...might be the first smut drabble I’ve written purely from Maul’s perspective, come to think of it. The line in Sith language is repurposed from captainmazzic, and a couple of others from TLJ. The important thing to remember is that Maul is both Very Persuasive and convinced that he is Always Right. And he is, kind of,  but only from a very selective point of view. Ahsoka has every reason to question the morality of what it means for her to not only want sex from him, but also that she likes having some degree of physical pain involved with sex in general. (Some people aren’t fully comfortable with masochism/painplay in their BDSM, especially when first starting out.) I wanted to explore a version of her that wasn’t as put-together or as sure of herself, because everyone has a point where they either get run down or break entirely; and it doesn’t make her any less for doing so. Anyway, I’ve rambled on a fair bit again. Cheers, everyone!)

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars Toys Prove That the Legends Expanded Universe Isn’t Dead

https://ift.tt/38VmigA

Disney’s 2012 acquisition of the Star Wars franchise obviously proved consequential, especially after it redefined the Skywalker Saga with a Sequel Trilogy, two standalone films, a successful live-action series, and an array of animated shows. Yet, one sore point (of many) for longtime fans has been the company’s erasure of decades’ worth of beloved Expanded Universe Star Wars novels, comic books, and video games, which were relegated to the non-canon label Legends. However, said erasure doesn’t mean the old canon is gone completely, as exemplified this week by Hasbro, which is dedicating a whole new wave of action figures to the Legends Expanded Universe.

Hasbro has revealed an intriguing quartet for its 6” scaled Star Wars: The Black Series line: Jaxxon, Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice), Carnor Jax, and Luke Skywalker (Heir to the Empire)—each character—or character iteration—hails from the Legends lore that Disney unceremoniously scrapped. Indeed, the fact that an action figure is finally (after decades of niche fan demand) being made for Jaxxon, the space-traveling bunny smuggled from Marvel’s Star Wars comics of the late-1970s/early-1980s, is indicative of a reemergence of the Legends lore.

Moreover, Hasbro’s choices—notably approved by Disney—do not seem random. Rather, they seem complementary to the return of other blasts from the pasts, including Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars: Droids, and Star Wars: Ewoks to the Disney+ library as well as the debut of Clone Wars bounty hunter Durge to the Disney canon.

Why are these choices significant? Because they reflect a growing trend for the franchise—specifically in the aftermath of The Mandalorian season 2, which further embraced forgotten Legends story elements, such as the Dark Troopers.

The aforementioned characters—save for Jaxxon and the black-clad Heir to the Empire Luke—had been turned into 3 ¾” scale action figures in the years before 2012, and Hasbro has since sporadically released other Legends characters in the Black Series (Grand Admiral Thrawn, Jaina Solo, Darth Revan, Darth Nihilus, Tartakovsky Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi et al). Yet, the act of dedicating an entire wave of the Black Series—Star Wars’ de facto current main action figure line—reveals a mainstream popularity for these characters that extends well beyond the realm of elegiac fanboys. And perhaps an interest in bringing more Legends elements to the Disney canon.

“I’ve been a fan of Star Wars comic books since the 1980s, so the very idea of having action figures based on Star Wars comics publishing is mind-blowing in the very best way,” said Jennifer Heddle, executive editor of Lucasfilm Publishing, in a statement on StarWars.com. “Seeing these figures takes me right back to memories of sitting on my bedroom floor, paging through the latest Star Wars comic, hardly able to believe I was reading original adventures about my favorite characters. Publishing’s ability to create those kinds of memories is a driving force behind what I do, and to have Lucasfilm acknowledge that legacy in this way is absolutely thrilling.”

In a divergence from Jaxxon’s classic cartoonish appearance in Marvel Comics or IDW’s current canon-adjacent Star Wars Adventures series, his debut figure is rendered in a quasi-realistic style, as if to emulate how he would appear in live-action form, a curious choice that leaves one to ponder if such a thing is destined to occur. (Don’t bet on it it.)

It’s no secret that Thrawn, who returned to canon as a villain in the acclaimed animated series Star Wars Rebels, now has live-action prospects glistening after being prominently name-dropped in a season 2 episode of The Mandalorian. It now appears that the evil azure admiral of Timothy Zahn’s classic novel trilogy will manifest in person for the upcoming spinoff series centered on Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano. Moreover, the inclusion of Luke Skywalker from Heir to the Empire is pertinent to this point, since he comes with Thrawn’s pet ysalamiri, a lizard-like creature that the villain kept with him at all times in the story—usually draped around his neck—because it has an innate property that nullifies a Jedi’s Force abilities. The existing Black Series Thrawn figure—which was recently reissued—was notably missing his pet (a 2017 SDCC exclusive deluxe version included his ysalamiri statues seen on Rebels). It’s possible this is all stage-setting for a future Thrawn live-action storyline.

Read more

TV

Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett?

By Joseph Baxter

Books

Star Wars: Great Legends Stories You Should Read

By Megan Crouse and 1 other

The shirtless version of Darth Maul is a nice post-Disney callback to Dark Horse’s 2000 comic series, Star Wars: Darth Maul, which showcased the double-blader’s time under the tutelage of Darth Sidious before the events of The Phantom Menace. This rendition of Maul, whose Legends lore resurrection was adapted by the Disney canon via animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and live-action movie Solo: A Star Wars Story, has always been popular, showcasing the fuller extent of his intricate body tattoos. It had already inspired multiple action figures in the 3 ¾” line.

Similarly, the inclusion of Carnor Jax revives the once-popular villain from Dark Horse’s 1997 miniseries, Star Wars: Crimson Empire. The character, who survived the destruction of the Second Death Star, is a would-be Sith lord who rose through the ranks of the crimson-clothed Royal Guards and was vying to fill the power vacuum left in the wake of the Emperor’s demise. The imperious endeavor would thrust him into a conflict with fellow former guardsman Kir Kanos, who eventually defected to the Rebels.  

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

After the tumult that followed the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Disney has been doing some serious soul searching about its $4 billion investment, and as The Mandalorian has proven, a back-to-basics ethos is something that fans, young and old, can embrace. Likewise, the arena of toys has always been the franchise’s most reliable popularity metric ever since the 1977 marketing milestone in which kids were sold a piece of cardboard containing an “Early Bird” certificate for unproduced action figures from that year’s surprise biggest box office hit. It will be interesting to see if this Legends Expanded Universe wave of Star Wars’ Black Series figures proves indicative of the franchise’s live-action direction.

The post Star Wars Toys Prove That the Legends Expanded Universe Isn’t Dead appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3cOAGZ5

[sunsabered]

𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 && 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 && 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒;;;

As with a lot of people, I also have taken the liberty to make some changes to the canon shown in The Rise of Skywalker. I have been thinking about various of these changes for quite a while now and I genuinely hope they make sense at the end of the day as I am far more comfortable with this than what’s been given to us in canon. I respect anyone and their choice and this shall be mine. Under the cut all those changes, alterations and added details as well as thoiughts can be found. Please take a moment to read them.

➤ First and foremost because this needs to be said: My Rey is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 a Palpatine!! There is no relation between her and Palpatine; not by blood or in any other way!! For plot details view further below but in terms of family, this is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 a thing and never will be. ➤ Furthermore, I have come to the decision that my Rey is going to be a 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐈. There will be a post further detailing why and how in the future because there are some details I’d like to work out about it. In the case that a Kenobi (be it Obi-Wan or someone else) is not okay with this, Rey will just be Rey from Nowhere/Rey of Jakku!!  ➤ Since the movie has failed to highlight this: While Rey was training over the year in between TLJ and TROS, she has in fact come to see many of the Resistance as her friends. This includes Connix as well as Rose, while having also found to hold highest regards for some of the commanding staff such as Commander D’Acy. ➤ While speaking of time: I felt the time frame the movie worked in was rather short. I believe it was mentioned at some point that from the time they decode the message until the actual attacks it is about sixteen hours? That, to me personally, seems like a very, very short time frame to do all the things that were done in the movie and while I still think that they had to act and react in a limited time frame, I personally will see the time a bit more stretched than mere sixteen hours. ➤ Rey did 𝐍𝐎𝐓 let Beaumont Kin translate the Jedi texts. That was, in my eyes, a huge waste on C3PO and while I do not doubt that she’d have accepted outside help, her primary advisor on the Jedi texts was C3PO. I am more than willing to write out potential things in case someone makes a Beaumont but my primary idea will base on C3PO!! ➤ The Force bond is very much still a thing and has popped up every now and then over the year with Rey trying her best to avoid the whole thing but not quite capable of doing so all the time. There is a sliver of hope inside her that this can still turn toward the good but her focus lies with the resistance as she has come to see them as family. Part of her is disappointed to a degree; but she is very much unsure if her disappointment lies with Ben for choosing Kylo Ren and power or with herself for having gotten her hopes up so high with him. ➤ On the topic of calling Ben ‘Ren’ or ‘Kylo Ren’: Rey sees him and always will see him as Ben so when she talks with Leia or thinks about him, he is Ben to her. When talking to him, he is Ben. But with the fact that not everyone knows that Kylo Ren is Ben Solo, she has opted to call him Ren from time to time while talking with people from the resistance simply because she respects that in her eyes it is not her story to tell; Rey respects Leia’s choice of not going about sharing the origin story of Kylo Ren. I don’t know if this makes sense; I genuinely hope it does. In the end, Ben is Ben in her eyes. ➤ Because I don’t want to neglect the fact that at the end of TLJ Kylo Ren claimed that Rey had killed Snoke, I will have this be part of the reason as to why Rey was spending so much time at the restance base and with her training. The training was needed but being someone accused of the murder of the former Supreme leader sure has put a target on her back. Rey does go on smaller missions every now and then though. She 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍'𝐓 just sit around the base without ever helping!! This is important; Rey is someone who refuses to sit by idly and while training her is very much important, she would insist on coming along every now and then. ➤ The decoded message from the spy claims that it is Snoke that returned or rather, was never dead to begin with and has a whole fleet of star destroyers ready to set out and take the galaxy by force. Please read below for further information about this as I am not going with the Palpatine route at all unless discussed and even then, very unlikely to happen. ➤ 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄: The villain in this story is 𝐍𝐎𝐓 Palpatine. While I absolutely adore the villain of Palpatine, he is dead and should have remained as such. The movie absolutely didn’t do any favors to that character and since I feel that it does an injustice to various things and I feel that Snoke was entirely underused, the villain in this case -- (UNLESS DISCUSSED) is Snoke who has been on Exegol all along. In this case Snoke was an apprentice of Palpatine (potentially). As a former apprentice as well as someone who spent the last decades studying the dark side, he is very much capable of creating a second shape for himself. Perhaps via projection or cloning and that is what Ben killed during the throne room fight. In this case Snoke reveals himself in a twist of things. (Note: If you do insist on Palpatine, I will respect that but note that Rey will under no circumstances be his granddaughter). ➤ The fact that Poe, Finn and the others are coming along with her on the mission of finding the sith wayfinder means the world to her. While she hates the idea of risking anyone’s life but her own, she also has come to cherish these people and respects that they have to make their own choices. ➤ The events leading up to Pasaana are very much the same. They arrived, shortly after Rey has a force bond moment in which their location is revealed through a necklace. They try to escape and end up finding the hints they’d been looking for. Rey does heal the creature, already giving a bit of her life force. Chewie gets captured and when she sees a transporter leaving for the star destroyer, she panics and tries to fight for it, desperately trying to bring it back down. There will 𝐍𝐎𝐓 be any force lightning. Rey may carry around darkness but she is not a proper dark side user!! In the end it is the mix of power and emotion as well as desperation to free Chewie from the First Order that brings Rey to the point where the transporter explodes. She truly believes that she is to blame for it and the assumed death of Chewie. ➤ After that incident, her emotions are heightened. There is fear and anger and sadness over what she’s done, or rather believes to have done to, Chewie. This only makes her partially pull back. She does confide in Poe and Finn that she is terrified and feels as though something inside of her is changing. She admits to the visions she’s had about the dark side and the throne and sitting upon it. ➤ On this note: Rey very much does have visions and dreams except they’ve been getting stronger and more vivid over the year that had passed. I consider this both her manifestation of fear as well as meddling from Snoke. ➤ They still make their way to Kijimi and meet up with people of Poe’s (I personally find the spice runner story absolutely horrible but this is up to Poe muns) past. They decode the contents, the events still happen and eventually Rey senses that Chewie is still alive. This much follows canon. On the ship itself, be it via Ben or via data she finds, Rey is lead to believe that she is a child from a bloodline of dark force users and that her parents ran to protect her, sold her to protect her. While the initial abondment still stings, partially fuelling her emotions, there is also a new found feeling of knowing that they did in fact care for her to the point where they chose to sacrifice themselves so that she may live. ➤ Rey runs to reunite with the others but is cornered. The offer to join the dark side is made once more but she turns it down and leaves to find the wayfinder with the others.   ➤ Upon arrival on the planet, there is tension within Rey as she fears that time is running out. Being the impulsive, emotional kind but also not wanting to put her friends at risk within the ruins of the Death Star, she makes her way across the ocean but immensely struggles with the waves before finally making her way there. ➤ Upon the Death Star, after finding the second wayfinder, Rey’s emotions have come to hit a critical amount. The vision she sees of herself on the dark side, mixed in with more visions of what could be, are so intense that she is shaken to the core with anger, frustration and fear. It only makes her desire to find her way to Exegol that much stronger. When Ben crushes the wayfinder, her emotions bubble over and in a moment of anger she trikes at him. Rey is a very emotion based person and so the fight with Ben is a mess of her emotions coming to the surface in such a strong manner that it isn’t until she stabs him and feels Leia ( I am purposely leaving this vague) that she snaps out of it. Rey has a dark side as much as she has a light side and all though she identifies more with her light side, I will very much acknowledge that there is also darkness. I hope this makes some sense. If not, feel free to let me know. ➤ After stabbing him and healing him, Rey admits to having wanted to take that hand but points out that for her it was always about Ben and not Kylo Ren. While I see potential for them to talk more, with her remarking that she feels as though she doesn’t even know herself anymore - the potential for the ‘But I do’ line, she ends up leaving him there and making her way off the planet because in that moment her mind is filled with too many emotions for her to handle. ➤ As to how the healing happens; I personally had to think of a moment in Clone Wars in which The Daughter gave her life force to Ahsoka to bring her back from the dead. Somehow along with that and the fact that Ben and Rey are a dyad in the force, I could see either of them capable of such an act; a pure thing of giving and taking - balance combined with a very light force ability. I do truly hope that my thinking makes sense. However; I will never see this ability to just be used on everything all the time. I also definitely think that it takes a greater toll out of whoever uses it, when untrained, hence the energy drain shown. ➤ After leaving she goes to Ahch-To, searching for a moment to rest and figure out what to do. Ahch-To is a place that she considers calming to the mind. The same time it seems like the perfect place to hide away in exile. The idea crosses her mind and just as she is about to set fire to her way off the island, Luke turns up. It is through Luke that she finds out that the information about her heritage was false and that truly is a Kenobi and despite her wavering in the force between light and dark, her heart is in the right place. (In a thread with a Luke this of course up to the mun!!) She still receives Leia’s saber (or perhaps even Obi-Wan’s ? I would love to have a thread like that tbh ) and leaves for Exegol, intend on stopping Snoke with new found strength and knowledge. ➤ Rey arrives of Exegol and immediately storms in, knowing the resistance is on their way. Her movements are hurried as she is both nervous and driven by emotion but intend on killing Snoke and doing what she’d been accused of having done a year ago. There is a lot that goes into this and Snoke does still tempt her with belonging and of course the safety of all those she holds dear, showing her the resistance that has arrived and is struggling in the sky above them. It is then that she feels Ben’s presence (or perhaps they arrived together - at the same time, up to the mun) and eventually, through the force bond, hands him the second saber.  ➤ They eventually join up together, ready to fight Snoke who is revealed to be far more powerful than previously assumed just based on the fact that his scheming is revealed. Their bond is a bond in the force itself, a dyad and not something created by him or any other living being. It is revealed that he knew and was just aiming to use them for his purposes. He begins zapping the life force they hold between them and begins to drain them to the point where they collapse. They lie defeated for a moment but call out to the Jedi of the past, both connecting with them. ‘Be with Us’ instead of ‘Be with me’. ➤  The voice of past Jedi come flooding to them, chanting them on, telling them they can do it as a thousand generations of Jedi live on in them now, granting them the strength to lift up and face Snoke once more, stopping his lightning. Ben eventually is thrown into the abyss, with Rey worried for a second before having to face Snoke again, this time eventually summoning Ben’s saber to aid her, claiming that while he may be all the Sith, they are all the Jedi (referring to herself and Ben) and ends up frying him with his own, reflected lightning. The temple begins to break down around them. ➤ There is a moment of peace after the fight in which the dust settles and Rey looks up to the sky, now no longer filled with lightning but the resistance that is getting ready to crush the First Order/Last Order. There is relief before she turns toward the pit that Ben got thrown into. The idea crosses her mind to move toward it and see if he is okay but before that she collapses from her injuries and exhaustion from overextended force usage; her last thoughts being of Ben, Finn, Poe and the resistance - hoping they will all be happy and fine from here on out. ➤ Rey 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 die after the fight! That is very much still a thing. I feel that if you combine everything she’s gone through -- from healing Ben and the creature in the desert, to the fact that her life force had been zapped and the fact that the temple around them is collapsing -- she is simply exhausted and hurt. With the knowledge that the resistance is safe, Rey considers this a sacrifice worth making. Exhaustion and having your life force zapped can take one hell of toll on you; in my eyes, anyway. Not to mention the fact that she did have a head wound at the end which I think is rather realistic considering the fact that the temple was quite literally falling down around them. ➤ Ben Solo does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 die or rather does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 remain dead!! I will of course leave it up to the Ben muns out there whether he gets help from his family’s force ghosts or if he never dies to begin with. There may be exception threads in which, after discussion, I will write Ben as having died 𝐁𝐔𝐓 those will be far and few in between. A very, very rare occurrence as I personally think Ben shouldn’t have died but gotten a chance to work on things. ➤ While I personally consider the kiss between them a canon thing, I will not assume that it happened unless the Ben mun is alright with it. It was a moment of relief and happiness so I very much think it is realistic to have happened. ➤ They leave Exegol together, both alive but weakened. There is a lot to rebuild and Rey intends to do her best to let the galaxy know that they are safe once more. Whether Ben comes along to the resistance or not is up to the Ben mun of course. Either way there is a lot to talk about between the two of them and all the others. ➤ Rey does indeed end up making her own lightsaber in the warmest orange; as happy and radiant as the sun itself because it reflects her inner values and ideas (I will make a proper post on that eventually; I just have a lot of thoughts on the matter). It  ➤ Months pass in which Rey trains harder, with Ben (up to the mun) but eventually decides that it is time to lay the sabers (depending on what route to go with, this means either Leia’s, the legacy saber and Obi-Wan’s or just Luke and Leia’s) to rest. They travel to Tatooine, retrieving a flask of sand outside the Lars homestead before making their way to Naboo. Based on what they both know and learned, they bury the sabers along with the vial of sand (representing the beginning) and something representing Alderaan in a small grave with a memorial stone near the lake of Varykino. Rey does not take the name Skywalker but instead acknowledges that she is a Kenobi, intending to tell the tales of the legend of Skywalker, intending to let the name itself rise as something good across the galaxy once more. If any living soul is someone to rise as Skywalker it is Ben, as in Ben Solo rising as the heir to a Skywalker legacy.  Thank you, to heartsabered!! For letting me read through hers for guidance.

[seeking-star-wars]

Obi-wan Kenobi Reading List

Below the cut is a list of books that Obi-wan Kenobi appears in. The list is in chronological order using the Canon timeline from Wookieepedia, with the title of the book, author of the book, a brief synopsis of the book, and a link to the book on Amazon. The Amazon link takes you to Kindle option, but you can select physical or audiobook from the same page.

Some books focus on Obi-wan specifically, in some he’s a supporting character, and in some, he only appears briefly or as a memory.

Age of Republic - Heroes

by Jody Houser, Ethan Sacks, Marc Guggenheim, Cory Smith, Leinil Francis Yu, Paolo Villanelli, Casper Wijngaard

Collects Star Wars: Age of Republic - Anakin Skywalker 1, Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi 1, Star Wars: Age of Republic - Padme Amidala 1, Star Wars: Age of Republic - Qui-Gon Jinn 1; material from Star Wars: Age of Republic Special 1. This is the Age of Star Wars — an epic series of adventures uniting your favorite characters from all three trilogies! Join the greatest heroes of the Old Republic. Witness the moments that define them, the incredible battles that shaped them — and their eternal conflict between light and darkness! Maverick Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn is known to bend the rules — but a mission gone awry forces him to confront his conflicting beliefs! Anakin Skywalker has a chance to strike a devastating blow to the separatist cause. Will he choose the darker path or hold true to the Jedi code? Padmé Amidala sets out on a secret mission! Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Jedi, takes on an apprentice. Will his mission alongside his young Padawan bring them closer together or sow the seeds that will drive them apart? Plus: Mace Windu, Captain Rex...and Jar Jar Binks!

Master & Apprentice

by Claudia Gray

A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice. Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master. When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon’s mind. As Qui-Gon’s faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Adaptation by Terry Brooks

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy. On the green, unspoiled world of Naboo, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, arrive to protect the realm’s young queen as she seeks a diplomatic solution to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. At the same time, on desert-swept Tatooine, a slave boy named Anakin Skywalker, who possesses a strange ability for understanding the “rightness” of things, toils by day and dreams by night—of becoming a Jedi Knight and finding a way to win freedom for himself and his beloved mother. It will be the unexpected meeting of Jedi, Queen, and a gifted boy that will mark the start of a drama that will become legend. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years, plus a brand-new Darth Maul short story by New York Times bestselling author James Luceno!

Obi-wan & Anakin, Complete

by Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto

Collects Obi-Wan and Anakin #1-5 single issues. Before their military heroism in the Clone Wars, before their tragic battle on Mustafar and many decades before their final confrontation on the Death Star, they were Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. Now join them a few years into Anakin's, "chosen one" training. Teacher and student have grown closer over time, but it's been a difficult road. And things aren't about to get any easier. In fact, when they're called to a remote planet for assistance, the pair may be pushed to their breaking point. As they find themselves stranded on a strange world of primitive technology and deadly natives, will they be able to save themselves? When war breaks out around them, master and apprentice will find themselves on opposite sides!

Queen’s Shadow

by E. K. Johnston

Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Adaptation by R.A. Salvatore

Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat. The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have. Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this intense and revealing novel by bestselling author R. A. Salvatore sheds new light on the legend of Star Wars—and skillfully illuminates one of our most beloved sagas. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Star Wars Adventures I

by Landry Q. Walker, Cavan Scott, Derek Charm, Eric Jones, Elsa Charretier

Brand-new Star Wars comic book stories for readers of all ages! These new adventures make this sprawling universe more accessible than ever. Travel to a galaxy far, far away in the first volume of an all-new series as a rotating cast of characters (and creators!) journey through Star Wars history! Stories range from before the events of the first film all the way up to Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, in theatres December 2017. Characters major and minor, classic and new, expand the world of Star Wars into new territory, telling larger-than-life stories that encapsulate the breadth of the galactic struggle between good and evil for a new generation of fans

Dark Disciple

by Christie Golden

The only way to bring down the Sith’s most dangerous warrior may be to join forces with the dark side. In the war for control of the galaxy between the armies of the dark side and the Republic, former Jedi Master turned ruthless Sith Lord Count Dooku has grown ever more brutal in his tactics. Despite the powers of the Jedi and the military prowess of their clone army, the sheer number of fatalities is taking a terrible toll. And when Dooku orders the massacre of a flotilla of helpless refugees, the Jedi Council feels it has no choice but to take drastic action: targeting the man responsible for so many war atrocities, Count Dooku himself. But the ever-elusive Dooku is dangerous prey for even the most skilled hunter. So the Council makes the bold decision to bring both sides of the Force’s power to bear—pairing brash Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with infamous one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. Though Jedi distrust for the cunning killer who once served at Dooku’s side still runs deep, Ventress’s hatred for her former master runs deeper. She’s more than willing to lend her copious talents as a bounty hunter—and assassin—to Vos’s quest. Together, Ventress and Vos are the best hope for eliminating Dooku—as long as the emerging feelings between them don’t compromise their mission. But Ventress is determined to have her retribution and at last let go of her dark Sith past. Balancing the complicated emotions she feels for Vos with the fury of her warrior’s spirit, she resolves to claim victory on all fronts—a vow that will be mercilessly tested by her deadly enemy . . . and her own doubt.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Adaptation by Matthew Stover

The turning point for the entire Star Wars saga is at hand After years of civil war, the Separatists have battered the already faltering Republic nearly to the point of collapse. On Coruscant, the Senate watches anxiously as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aggressively strips away more and more constitutional liberties in the name of safeguarding the Republic. Yoda, Mace Windu, and their fellow Masters grapple with the Chancellor’ s disturbing move to assume control of the Jedi Council. And Anakin Skywalker, the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force, is increasingly consumed by his fear that his secret love, Senator Padmé Amidala, will die. As the combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame: Obi-Wan undertakes a perilous mission to destroy the dreaded Separatist military leader General Grievous. Palpatine, eager to secure even greater control, subtly influences public opinion to turn against the Jedi. And a conflicted Anakin–tormented by unspeakable visions– edges dangerously closer to the brink of a galaxy-shaping decision. It remains only for Darth Sidious, whose shadow looms ever larger, to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic . . . and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader. Based on the screenplay of the eagerly anticipated final film in George Lucas’s epic saga, bestselling Star Wars author Matthew Stover’s novel crackles with action, captures the iconic characters in all their complexity, and brings a space opera masterpiece full circle in stunning style. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Ahsoka

by E. K. Johnston

Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally, her story will begin to be told. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance….

Lords of the Sith

by Paul S. Kemp

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail. “It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.” Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as “spice,” an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir

by Jeremy Barlow, Juan Frigeri

Collecting Star Wars: Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir #1-4 and material from Star Wars Tales #7-9. Getting cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi and being rejected by his former Sith Master Darth Sidious isn't going to defeat Darth Maul. In fact, it only makes him mad enough to take on the galaxy - with an army of Mandalorians! After forming the Shadow Collective - a criminal organization composed of the Hutts, Black Sun, the Mandalorians, and the fearsome Nightbrothers - Maul wages war against Darth Sidious and his generals, Count Dooku and General Grievous! Adapted from unproduced screenplays for Season 6 of The Clone Wars television show, this is the final chapter planned for Darth Maul' saga.

Star Wars #7

by Jason Aaron, John Cassaday, Simone Bianchi

A special one-off tale of Ben Kenobi! Injustice reigns on Tatooine as villainous scum run rampant. Will Ben risk revealing himself to do what's right? Guest artist Simone Bianchi (Wolverine, Astonishing X-Men) joins writer Jason Aaron for this special tale!

Star Wars #15

by Jason Aaron, Mike Mayhew

FROM THE JOURNALS OF OBI-WAN KENOBI. Another tale of Obi-Wan's exile on Tatooine! Owen Lars took Luke in...but he refused to let Ben be part of his life. Why? What trouble could have been stirred up by Ben protecting Luke?

Star Wars #20

by Jason Aaron, Mike Mayhew

Another dive into the journal of Obi-Wan Kenobi! Jabba has hired bounty hunter Black Krrsantan to find out who's been thwarting his men! The old hermit of the dune wastes might know something about that.

A New Dawn

By John Jackson Miller with a foreword by Dave Filoni

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . “The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning.”—Emperor Palpatine For a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights brought peace and order to the Galactic Republic, aided by their connection to the mystical energy field known as the Force. But they were betrayed—and the entire galaxy has paid the price. It is the Age of the Empire. Now Emperor Palpatine, once Chancellor of the Republic and secretly a Sith follower of the dark side of the Force, has brought his own peace and order to the galaxy. Peace through brutal repression, and order through increasing control of his subjects’ lives. But even as the Emperor tightens his iron grip, others have begun to question his means and motives. And still others, whose lives were destroyed by Palpatine’s machinations, lay scattered about the galaxy like unexploded bombs, waiting to go off. . . . The first Star Wars novel created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group, Star Wars: A New Dawn is set during the legendary “Dark Times” between Episodes III and IV and tells the story of how two of the lead characters from the animated series Star Wars Rebels first came to cross paths. Featuring a foreword by Dave Filoni. 

Tales from Vader’s Castle

by Cavan Scott, Derek Charm, Chris Fenoglio, Corin Howell, Robert Hack, Charles Paul Willson III

How do a band of rebels distract themselves when sneaking into the creepiest place in the galaxy? Tell scary stories of course! Follow Lina Graf, Crater, and friends as they sneak—and fight—their way into the terrifying castle of Darth Vader! Along the way, they’ll trade spooky stories featuring the most terrifying villains and creatures in the universe!

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Adaptation by George Lucas

Kindle | Other Versions

The classic adventure that started it all A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . Luke Skywalker lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine—and he was bored beyond belief. He yearned for adventures out among the stars, adventures that would take him beyond the farthest galaxies to distant and alien worlds. But Luke gets more than he bargained for when he intercepts a cryptic message from a beautiful princess held captive by a dark and powerful warlord. Luke doesn't know who she is, but he knows he has to save her—and soon, because time is running out. Armed only with courage and with the lightsaber that had been his father's, Luke is catapulted into the middle of the most savage space war ever—and headed straight for a desperate encounter on the enemy battle station known as the Death Star. . . .

From a Certain Point of View

by Renee Ahdieh, Meg Cabot, Pierce Brown, Nnedi Okorafor, Sabaa Tahir

On May 25, 1977, the world was introduced to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and a galaxy full of possibilities. In honor of the fortieth anniversary, more than forty contributors lend their vision to this retelling of Star Wars. Each of the forty short stories reimagines a moment from the original film, but through the eyes of a supporting character. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by bestselling authors, trendsetting artists, and treasured voices from the literary history of Star Wars: • Gary Whitta bridges the gap from Rogue One to A New Hope through the eyes of Captain Antilles. • Aunt Beru finds her voice in an intimate character study by Meg Cabot. • Nnedi Okorofor brings dignity and depth to a most unlikely character: the monster in the trash compactor. • Pablo Hidalgo provides a chilling glimpse inside the mind of Grand Moff Tarkin. • Pierce Brown chronicles Biggs Darklighter’s final flight during the Rebellion’s harrowing attack on the Death Star. • Wil Wheaton spins a poignant tale of the rebels left behind on Yavin. Plus thirty-four more hilarious, heartbreaking, and astonishing tales from: Ben Acker • Renée Ahdieh • Tom Angleberger • Ben Blacker • Jeffrey Brown • Rae Carson • Adam Christopher • Zoraida Córdova • Delilah S. Dawson • Kelly Sue DeConnick • Paul Dini • Ian Doescher • Ashley Eckstein • Matt Fraction • Alexander Freed • Jason Fry • Kieron Gillen • Christie Golden • Claudia Gray • E. K. Johnston • Paul S. Kemp • Mur Lafferty • Ken Liu • Griffin McElroy • John Jackson Miller • Daniel José Older • Mallory Ortberg • Beth Revis • Madeleine Roux • Greg Rucka • Gary D. Schmidt • Cavan Scott • Charles Soule • Sabaa Tahir • Elizabeth Wein • Glen Weldon • Chuck Wendig All participating authors have generously forgone any compensation for their stories. Instead, their proceeds will be donated to First Book—a leading nonprofit that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to educators and organizations serving children in need. To further celebrate the launch of this book and both companies’ longstanding relationships with First Book, Penguin Random House has donated $100,000 to First Book, and Disney/Lucasfilm has donated 100,000 children’s books—valued at $1,000,000—to support First Book and their mission of providing equal access to quality education. Over the past sixteen years, Disney and Penguin Random House combined have donated more than eighty-eight million books to First Book.

Heir to the Jedi

by Kevin Hearne

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view. Luke Skywalker’s game-changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he’s a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there’s no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot—and in the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there’s no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause. A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire’s purposes. But the prospective spy’s sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she’s willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It’s an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that’s too precious to pass up. It’s also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who’s got a score of her own to settle with the Empire. Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it’s now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Adaptation by Donald F. Glut

Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan The adventures of Luke Skywalker did not end with the destruction of the Death Star. Though the Rebel Alliance won a significant battle, the war against the Empire has only just begun.   Several months have passed, and the Rebels have established a hidden outpost on the frozen wasteland of Hoth. But even on that icy backwater planet, they cannot escape the evil Darth Vader’s notice for long. Soon Luke, Han, Princess Leia, and their faithful companions will be forced to flee, scattering in all directions—with the Dark Lord’s minions in fevered pursuit.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Adaptation by James Khan

It was a dark time for the rebel alliance...Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, had been delivered into the hands of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Determined to rescue him, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Lando Calrissian launched a hazardous mission against Jabba's Tatooine stronghold. The Rebel commanders gathered all the warships of the Rebel fleet into a single giant armada. And Darth Vader and the Emperor, who had ordered construction to begin on a new and even more powerful Death Star, were making plans to crush the Rebel Alliance once and for all.

Aftermath: Life Debt

by Chuck Wendig

It is a dark time for the Empire. . . . The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk. Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush—resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance. Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward the Millennium Falcon’s last known location, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them—or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.

[dakt37]

The long, long character breakdown of my super self-indulgent Toy Story-style Star Wars AU, “Destiny Dollhouse.” (Some doodles are here) My apologies if the cut doesn’t work.

Other than perhaps a brief moment of Buzz-style confusion for Jyn (“Oh my god I died, the planet blew up, is this purgatory?!” “Oh Honey no that was just a movie and you’re just a doll.”), everyone is aware of their situation. And while dolls of the same character are usually similar in personality, they also each lean on different traits and end up distinctive. For the most part, they address each other with surname initials to avoid confusion.

The Leias:

Leia C (Ceremonial) - The most regal/calm/mature of the Leias, she tends to act as their de facto leader. She has somewhat limited articulation and moves like Toy Story’s Barbie. From the 1999 Portrait Series, Leia C spent something like 15 years in storage as a collector’s item. She’s glad to now be out of her box, but is still very cautious about keeping her hair and clothing neat.

Leia O (Original, or Organa I suppose) - AKA Buff Leia. From the 1996 Hasbro line, she is the oldest in the dollhouse. But in the “cool biker aunt” sort of way. She sometimes doffs her dress and just hangs out in the bodysuit she wears underneath. She’s strong and can be jovial, but also has zero time for anyone’s bullshit.

Leia H (Hoth) - Youngest of the Leias along with her identical twin Leia E. They’re sometimes referred to as “The Destiny Twins.” Leia H is a great mission leader, but also the most hot-tempered doll in the house. She enjoys swapping clothes and weapons with her roommates, but Do Not touch her hair.

Leia E (Endor) - The looser of the Destiny Twins. She had most of her original braids undone so that she could actually use her helmet, a move that scandalized many of the other dolls. Adventurous and personable, she often goes on recon missions with the 3D Fireteam and is one of the few to have become close friends with Rey J. For a while, Leia E was the only doll to wear colors other than white, black, brown, red, and gold. She’s always enthusiastic about meeting dolls with new colors, and (like her twin sister) loves swapping clothes. She also has a little Ewok friend, Wicket.

The Amidalas:

The Queen (Red Senate dress) - Democratically elected leader of the dollhouse, she lives on the top level with her second-in-command, Sabe B. Like Leia C, she was in storage for years and tends to be careful about her appearance. She’s not particularly active, due to limited articulation and many heavy clothes. She’s not lazy, it’s just a hassle you know?

Amidala (Red palace dress) - AKA Gay Padme, she’s entirely disinterested in any talk of Anakin Skywalker (“I’m from TPM anyway, he’s just a little kid??”) and is instead dating Sabe R.  Amidala is somewhat sassy compared to her sisters, and very experimental in her fashion. She tries to be mindful of her carefully styled curls, but is often too enthusiastic about trying on new outfits and then needs her girlfriend to fix them up after they get caught in velcro or squished under accessories.

Padme (Pilot outfit) - [I don’t actually own her yet, but she’s next on my “to buy” list.] The most impulsive of all the Amidalas, and the most smitten with Anakin. She often goes on missions with the Destiny Twins and the 3D Fireteam, but just as often needs to be rescued by them when she starts off on some investigation on her own and then gets into trouble.

Sabe B (Black dress) - Marketed as Amidala, but is actually Sabe playing decoy. She and Queen are close (though not as close as Amidala and Sabe R), and spend most of their time discussing the running of the dollhouse and managing each other’s physical upkeep. Sabe B is the most fastidious of all the dolls, and the most protective of everyone’s appearances (most especially of the feathers on her own headdress). She’s the house seamstress, though due to limited mobility she delegates the collecting of tools and supplies.

Sabe R (Red dress) - Also marketed as Amidala, but actually Sabe playing decoy. Sabe R is dating Amidala, is a bit of a gossip, and is by far the most experimental with her own hair. Where Sabe B is the expert on mending clothes, Sabe R is the expert on hair. For most of the dolls her work is limited to fixing squished updos and taming flyaways, but Sabine and Leia E let her brush and braid to her heart’s content.

The Reys:

Rey J (Jakku) - The most adventurous loose canon of all the dolls, she often wanders off on her own to scavenge for things around the apartment at large. She’s socially awkward and slow to trust, but very enthusiastic about showing off her treasure once she’s sure you won’t steal it. Her twin sister Rey R knows her the best, but she’s also managed to befriend Leia E and Ahsoka. Leia H has banned Rey J from official dollhouse missions because she never sticks to the plan. Rey J’s favorite thing in the whole apartment is the spider plant.

Rey R (Resistance) - Still a little rough around the edges socially, but more clued-in than her sister. Rey R tends to act as the “big sister” of the pair, despite them being twins. BB-8 (who hops rather than rolls) is most loyal to Rey R, acting more or less like her pet dog. Rey R and Ahsoka became fast friends (especially after Ahsoka managed to befriend Rey J), and do lightsaber training together.

Ahsoka - The most acrobatic of the dolls, despite not being able to raise her arms at the shoulder due to some bizarre design decision by FoD doll creators (seriously wtf??). Extremely chipper and gregarious, Ahsoka makes friends with everyone she meets, even if sometimes it takes prolonged and dogged determination. She hates being left out of things. She also considers herself a good luck charm, as she arrived on the day that the Star Wars Celebration 2019 hotel blocks opened and was standing watch over the computer when I managed to defy the odds and actually snag a room in the chaos of thousands of people all trying to get on the same website at the exact same moment o_e Oh also she has a pet lothcat for some reason.

Sabine - One of the newest arrivals. I don’t actually know super much about her canon personality yet beyond that she’s artistic and probably pretty badass. So the doll version loves to play with the chalkboard and whiteboards in the kitchen, and is the least intimidated of the cat that shares the apartment with them. She immediately develops a crush on Ahsoka.

Jyn - Another of the newest arrivals. Might have slight Buzz Lightyear Syndrome to start out with. She tends to be the straight man, comedicaly speaking. Tired, angsty, and somewhat insecure, she can be abrasive at first and butts heads with authority figures. She eventually becomes good buddies with Leia O, and likes to join Ahsoka and Rey R for sparring practice and Rey J for climbing excursions.

3D Fireteam - Four 3D-printed action figures of Padme, Sabe, and Eirtae from the battle of Naboo. Two are Padmes technically, but one is nearly twice the height of the other three figures. They behave rather like the green soldiers from Toy Story, complete with the feet-stuck-to-base waddle. I’m not sure what their exact chain of command is, but in general they take orders from Leia H. I’m also not sure how they refer to each other; maybe just by military ranks?

LEGO TFA Trio - Rey, Finn, and Poe. They’re dating. Goofy, fun-loving, and a bit mischievous. They love the winter holidays because they are technically keychains, and therefore get to be Xmas tree ornaments.

Obi-Wan Kenobi - A little crochet doll who can’t speak, as he has no mouth. Somehow he manages to be extremely sarcastic anyway.

[disneydreamlights]

I posted 6,237 times in 2021

125 posts created (2%)

6112 posts reblogged (98%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 48.9 posts.

I added 12,383 tags in 2021

#we'll make a wish and do as dreamers queue - 5746 posts

#star wars - 2240 posts

#kingdom hearts - 1208 posts

#anakin - 936 posts

#obi wan - 493 posts

#padme - 440 posts

#disney - 372 posts

#sora - 343 posts

#ahsoka - 309 posts

#xd - 296 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#a murderer out of this and had him fall’’ and raised him with the intent of fostering all anakin’s faults so he’d latch onto palpatine’s

(Post it's from since tumblr won't search it properly.)

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze Welcome Christmas, come this way! Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day!

Grinchmas 2021

22 notes • Posted 2021-12-02 23:13:12 GMT

#4

26 notes • Posted 2021-10-01 01:39:05 GMT

#3

I Won't Lose Her

AO3 | FFN

Summary: When Vader sends a hostage video to Padme saying he holds her daughter captive, she does the only thing she possibly could, tries to save her life for her daughter's.

A/N: For @anidalaweek Day 2: Canon Divergence. Basically a Padme lives and becomes leader of the Rebellion AU because honestly we stan.

Yes I did publish this on AO3 hours before posting it here don't worry about it.

She knew she should've told Bail not to let Leia take the mission.

Padmé Amidala sat at her desk, unable to stop staring at the notice on her page. Leia had been sent to Tatooine to collect Obi-Wan and bring him and the Death Star plans to the Rebellion.

Leia had been captured en route to Tatooine by the Executor and had failed to get to Obi-Wan.

"Padmé." At the sound of her name, Padmé looked up at the hologram of Mon. It was clear that her fellow rebel leaders regretted what had happened to her daughter by the guilty expression on Mon's face. "We have news of Leia."

"News…?" In an instant, Padmé leaned forward, her eyes wide. "What did you learn? What happened? Is Leia alright?"

When Mon didn't answer right away, Padmé felt a surge of panic. "Is...she didn't…"

"No. No. Leia is fine," Mon answered, interrupting her before Padmé could continue to focus on that idea. The emphatic denial gave Padmé some reassurance that Leia was alright. "It's...perhaps I should just show you the message."

Mon vanished, instead showing a hologram of Leia and Vader, the mysterious dark lord of the Sith. "This is a message to Senator Amidala, the true leader of the Rebellion." At the sound of Vader's voice, Padmé's blood went cold. "As I am to understand it, the news of your death was exaggerated. As I have found in the princess's mind...you have been alive and in hiding, controlling this war from the shadows while the Organas and Mothma were the face of your rebellion."

"If you would like your daughter unharmed, you will arrive on the Executor within a standard week from receiving this message. As a show of good faith, I am using a private transponder, and will not trace it to the location of your current base. If you do not arrive, Leia Skywalker will be executed. She will meet the same fate as your late husband."

"I look forward to your arrival on my ship." The hologram vanished, and Padmé fought any feelings of nausea as Mon's face returned.

"I'm sorry Padmé. We're hoping General Kenobi will get there in time, but…"

"But we don't even know if he got Leia's message." The moment she had seen the message, seen that Darth Vader held her daughter, Padmé knew there was only one option for her. "I can't leave her Mon."

"I know." Mon looked down, as though she had expected this. "Please be careful in rescuing your daughter."

Padmé nodded. Once Mon hung up the call, Padmé ran to her closet to find her flight suit.

She'd lost Luke, back when she had first given birth Obi-Wan had insisted it would be best to separate the twins, and Padmé had reluctantly agreed, giving up the chance to know her son for the best chance of life he could have. If she lost her other child too, this one to a more permanent fate, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to forgive herself for the mistake.

She had to trade herself for Leia. The Rebellion would survive without her presence. It was the only option she had.

-x-

The Executor loomed in Padmé's vision, an ominous warning of her impending fate as her small X-Wing steadily crept closer to the Star Destroyer. It was large and imposing, and the Sith inside had already done so much damage to her family that she wasn't sure how she would face him. But she kept holding onto the single hope that Leia was alive when Vader had spoken to her. She just had to keep believing that. The dark feeling in the air meant nothing. She could survive.

The radio clicked on as she received a transmission from the empire. "This is the Executor. You're in a classified zone. State your purpose or you will be shot down."

Padmé took a deep breath, hoping to keep her voice steady in spite of her nerves and fear. "This is Padmé Amidala, leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I'm here to trade myself for the princess Leia Organa."

She watched, anxiously, expecting to be fired on as soon as she stated her name, expecting this to have been a trap to lure her out of the shadows she'd remained in for so long. Instead however, there was nothing but silence before a deep voice came from the radio. "Senator Amidala, I will meet you down in the hangar. Do not try anything foolish. My men will shoot without warning."

The radio cut out, and Padmé took a deep breath. So far, she was alive. A small part of her hoped that this wasn't a trap, but a genuine trade to capture a larger target. She hadn't known Vader to be a man of his word, but then again, besides the fact that he was a Sith and the one who had killed her husband, Padmé didn't know much about him at all.

The hangar bay doors opened, and rather than have to pilot herself in, her ship was grabbed by a tractor beam, slowly pulling her in. Once she was safely inside and the ship landed, she opened the cockpit and jumped out, her hand on the only weapon she had on her, her blaster. In the back, she saw a dark imposing figure with his black armor and the mask that kept his face hidden. She couldn't get a read on him, but he didn't seem keen to attack. To her disappointment, her daughter wasn't with him.

Gathering her courage to her, Padmé broke the silence that had remained between them as neither had spoken. "Lord Vader. I see the promise of my safety wasn't a lie. Where is my daughter?"

"Leia is currently being kept in my quarters." The way he said her name caused Padmé's stomach to tie itself in knots. There was a fondness to it, one the Sith never should have had. She hated to imagine any of the reasons as to why. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her."

"How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead."

The statement was a punch to the stomach, a reminder of what Vader was capable of, and one that left Padmé with little idea of how to respond. Her silence left an awkward void, only filled by the harsh breathing of his respirator.

Seeing no other alternative, she relented. "Very well. I will follow you. But if any harm comes to my daughter–"

"I have no desire to see her harmed, though whether you believe me or not is irrelevant." Vader's voice was harsh, and there was an underlying note of offense, as though he couldn't believe she would assume he would want to hurt Leia. With that, he started down the halls of the Star Destroyer, leaving Padmé confused.

She wasn't in binders, Vader was escorting her himself, and he had no desire to harm Leia.

None of it added up. Yet she still followed him quietly deeper into the ship, trying to figure out just what he was doing and why.

When they finally arrived in his quarters, Padmé was surprised to find that it was furnished fairly normally, although nothing besides the pod in the back looked as though it had been used in quite some time, and in the bed on the back of the room was Leia, who looked no worse for wear to her mother's relief.

"Princess." Leia looked up at Vader. At first, her eyes had been narrowed in distaste, but once she saw Padmé, her eyes widened in shock, and the biting comment she had been preparing for Vader fell silent.

"Leia." Padmé reached out.

"Mother." Leia stood up from the bed and ran into Padmé's arms. "Mother I'm so sorry. I tried to keep everything contained like Auntie 'Soka said but–"

"You did your best Leia. You did so much more than I could've ever expected against Vader." Padmé held Leia close to her, not letting her daughter go as she realized how close she had come to losing her. There weren't any marks on Leia, which meant that Vader hadn't done much to harm her beyond mentally, and Padmé couldn't fight the smile that formed in relief that her daughter was alright. "I'm so proud of you."

"I didn't want you to come. I could've handled Vader."

"I already lost so much Leia. I couldn't lose you too." Padmé kissed her daughter on the head, and Leia hugged her once more.

They stood there, holding each other, though Padmé wasn't sure for how long before she heard Leia whisper in her ear. "Artoo and Threepio got away. I think they made it to General Kenobi."

Through it all. Leia still made sure that the mission succeeded. If Padmé thought she couldn't have been prouder of the girl, she was mistaken. Leia had gotten the message to Obi-Wan (and to Luke). The Death Star would still be destroyed and the Alliance would gain the edge they may have needed to turn the tide in this war. There were still so many reasons for hope.

"It is time for you to leave, Leia. Your mother has fulfilled her end of the deal." Mother and daughter sprung apart when Vader spoke, attracting their attention. "I will escort you personally to the ship she came in."

"I don't need your escort." Leia glared at Vader. "And don't call me Leia. You have no right to use that name."

"If you do not want any of the officers or Storm Troopers to capture you once more, you will." Leia remained silent. "You are, of course, welcome to stay aboard my ship, but I would presume that's not what you wish."

Leia remained silent, as though deciding what her best course of action would be. Padmé attempted to give a reassuring smile. "Go, Leia. Find Obi-Wan. Tell him what happened."

Leia ignored Padmé's pleas and looked at Vader, who seemed to have stiffened slightly at the mention of Obi-Wan. "What do you want my mother for? Why did you spare me?" She grabbed onto Padmé's hand. "The moment you learned about her, you stopped torturing me. You refused to answer any of my questions. You forced me to compromise the entire Rebellion for a phone call for a deal that based on everything any of us know about you would be so obviously fake–"

As Leia continued her demands, Vader raised his hands. For a moment, Padmé felt fear. The last time she had seen a similar gesture from a Force Sensitive had been nineteen years ago, right before she'd lost Anakin. Thankfully, it was just a gesture to stop, as he instead spoke. "I spent nineteen years thinking I was responsible for your deaths. I would not wish to see that happen again."

"That didn't stop you from killing my Father!" Leia's words hung in the air, and Vader stepped back, as though the accusation wounded him in some way. "Don't deny it, mother–"

"Your mother was misinformed." Though Padmé couldn't tell because of his mask, it felt as though Vader's eyes were locked directly on her, and she shivered. "I did not kill your father."

"Obi-Wan said–" She was cut off before Padmé could repeat the story she'd heard.

"Kenobi lied. Or perhaps, he could not face the truth himself." Vader continued to keep her gaze, though he didn't elaborate any further on his statement. "Princess, it is time for you to go. No harm will come to Padmé so long as I am alive to see to it."

"You still haven't answered my questions!" Leia protested.

"We do not have the time for me to answer them in a way you would find satisfactory." Vader crossed his arms, finally turning back to Leia. "I cannot hide your presence here forever, and if you would like to escape to your Rebels, you will need to go now."

Knowing she had lost, Leia hugged Padmé. "I'll come back for you. With help."

"I know." Padmé hugged her back quickly. "I love you Leia. If something happens to me, never forget that."

They let go, and Leia was taken out of the room without another word.

-x-

Vader came back into the room about an hour later, Leia no longer beside him. Padmé had taken to laying on the bed that had held Leia earlier, choosing to read one of the holo novels that were on the shelves. He stood next to her on the bed, but Padmé chose to say nothing. She didn't want to talk to Vader, let alone have anything to do with him. No matter how desperate for an answer as to why he was doing everything, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Leia has left. She flew out on your ship, and will remain untracked." As though he realized Padmé wouldn't speak, Vader did instead. "I'm sorry to have threatened her, but once I knew you were alive, I knew it was the only way to bring you here." She remained quiet, pretending to be invested in the story to continue to ignore Vader. "I would never have hurt her. Had you chosen not to come, I would've found another way."

"Why?" Padmé asked. She put down the novel, finally giving Vader her attention. "You haven't explained anything to either of us Lord Vader. I have no reason to believe you when you say you won't hurt her. I have no reason to believe you won't hurt me now."

"Nineteen years ago, on Mustafar, you tried to stop me from heading down a dark path I could never come back from." Vader started, despite still remaining harsh due to the vocoder, his voice felt softer, as though he was trying to be gentle. She stiffened at the start of his story, wanting to deny everything he was implying. "I wouldn't listen, and I lashed out. I thought I'd killed you, Padmé. For nineteen years I thought I'd killed you and the child."

Padmé's eyes widened, and although Vader reached out for her, she scooched back, as far away from Vader as she could. "No. You can't be. He…" She shook her head, her hand resting over her mouth as she tried to process this. Anakin couldn't. He wouldn't.

Vader didn't deny, and instead let Padmé come to terms with the implication of his words on her own. It was everything she'd feared. Obi-Wan hadn't hidden that he'd fallen, she was aware that Anakin had attacked her that night, but she'd always hoped…

"Darth Vader destroyed him. I'm so sorry Padmé, Anakin is gone."

"I see you needed more time before I told you the news. I'd just hoped…" Vader's words fell to silence, and Padmé couldn't stop herself from staring. There had to be something to prove this wrong.

"Why?"

"I thought I'd lost everything." Vader sat down on the bed, but made no further move to get closer to her. "My master was all I thought I had. I did not care about what became of me, and I became nothing more than a weapon, until I started going through Leia's memories and I saw…"

"You saw me." Vader didn't react, but Padmé didn't need one to know it was the truth. She may not have been force sensitive, but the knowledge of the true identity of the monster in front of her held more answers than the Force ever would. "Ani…?" She reached her hand onto his mask, cupping where his cheek would've been without it.

"I'm sorry. I've done many things you wouldn't approve of since your death." He had, and there would be time for her to process that the atrocities he had committed were all performed by Anakin. There would be time for her to decide if she could forgive him. There would be time for him to prove that he deserved her forgiveness.

But in this moment, all she cared about was that the man who she had spent so many years mourning and fighting to avenge was alive. "I'd thought..."

"So had I." Vader bowed his head, moving away from the gentle touch he could not feel. "But now that I know that you and Leia are alive, I'll do everything in my power to keep both of you safe."

Padmé shook her head. "Anakin, I can't stay your prisoner. I have to go back." She had to make sure that Leia was safe. She had to meet with Obi-Wan and talk to him about this. She wanted to have the chance to truly meet Luke in more than a few holocalls that Obi-Wan managed to set up between her and her son.

To her surprise, he didn't protest. "For now, you'll have to. When Leia gets the Death Star plans to the Rebellion and destroys it, that's when there will be enough chaos in the system that you'll be able to escape without attracting suspicion." Padmé couldn't help but stare. "I'll give you an encrypted comm system to communicate with, just like we used to during the war."

"You'll let me go back?"

"If you stay here, then the Emperor will find you. It won't be safe," Vader said. "There is no other choice, my master must die. If I have to work with your Rebels to achieve that end, then so be it."

Surprising herself, Padmé smiled. "If that's the case, then we'd better get started."

29 notes • Posted 2021-05-06 02:30:30 GMT

#2

Maybe for the by your side prompt with sick anakin anidala 🥺

A/N: My brain was like shouldn’t you do this from Anakin’s perspective but no only Padme’s. XD

Thank you so much for sending in the prompt Meltic and ily. <3 Sorry this took so long it’s just been a crazy couple of days.

When Padmé opened the door to her apartment, she had been surprised to see Anakin there. Last she’d followed the war effort, he was supposed to be out fighting in the battle on Felucia with General Secura, not based on Coruscant, yet he was here, lying on her couch, having fallen asleep waiting for her to come home.

She couldn’t complain, and she smiled softly at the sight. If it meant Anakin was home a few weeks early, and she could have her husband with her again, she would take any blessing she could get. 

She closed the door, trying to do so as quietly as possible to avoid disturbing him. She started towards the kitchen to get working on food when she heard a soft groan. “Padmé?”

Rather than continue to make food, she went over to the couch. “I tried not to wake you.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Anakin insisted. She didn’t really believe him, given the way sleep still clouded his eyes and he hadn’t sat up, but she didn’t question it. “And even if I was, I wouldn’t want to sleep when you’re around.”

He was as sleep as he always was, and Padmé went to put her hand in his hair to start playing with it until he fell asleep, but instantly pulled it back as soon as she felt the heat coming from the top of his head. She instead flipped her hand around so the back of her hand was against his forehead. He was warm, abnormally so. “Ani…” She shook her head. “Ani you have a fever.”

Anakin shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“You aren’t fine, you were sick enough that they sent you home to recover.” He was unbelievable, knowing he was sick enough and yet going onto the streets of Coruscant running a fever and who knew what else just to see her. “You should be resting in the temple.”

“Didn’t wanna head back to the temple,” Anakin muttered. “Obi-Wan couldn’t come back from the war, and Ahsoka…” His voice trailed off, unwilling to talk about everything with Ahsoka still so soon after it happened. “Would’ve been just me alone.”

She knew it was irresponsible to let him stay in her apartment. The Jedi Temple was significantly better stocked with medication and likely had techniques she couldn’t begin to understand to help him heal, but the desperation in his voice to be with anybody who he knew cared hurt her more than she could say, and she let out a sigh. “It’d be more dangerous and irresponsible to send you back anyways as you are. It means you’ll be sicker longer.”

“More time I get to spend here. With you,” Anakin said. Despite how worried she was, Padmé smiled. While she would’ve preferred Anakin have some self preservation in regards to how he acted, she couldn’t deny that how much he wanted to spend the time with her didn’t make her smile anyways.

She stood up from the couch, noticing Anakin’s frown as he felt her move, she said. “I’ll be right back, I have some medicine that might help.”

Anakin nodded and closed his eyes. “Thank you, Angel.” In any other circumstance, he likely would’ve pulled her back down. It was a testament to how terrible Anakin was feeling that he let her get up without a fight when he wanted the attention.

Padmé entered the kitchen and went through the cabinets. She wasn’t gone long, but when she returned with the pills and cup of water, Anakin was already once more out cold. She put them down on the side table near the couch and placed a kiss on Anakin’s forehead, leaving him to get the rest he needed as she went about her routine for the rest of the night.

38 notes • Posted 2021-05-05 02:18:55 GMT

#1

So I've been showing KH to a couple of friends and we were talking about it after a little bit when we finished CoM today and one of them after we finished talking literally was like "You know now that I'm seeing KH and know how much of an impact it had on you when you were younger you getting this into SW makes a lot of sense" and I hate how right he is because he's right KH is just Star Wars except instead of Lightsabers we have Keyblades I cannot believe I was this called out by him.

216 notes • Posted 2021-03-03 01:30:42 GMT

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