#they really said 'fuck luke skywalker' didn't they

[chosesun]

once again thinking about Luke and his jedi academy. no one touch me :(

[dearanakin]

trust you | anakin skywalker: episode III

Warning: mentions of grieving, injury, cursing

Word count: 1.6k

Previous chapter | Read on Wattpad

*

Anakin

I woke up to the bright lights of the medical room, my eyes slowly opening to adjust my vision. I felt my body ache like hell, as though I had been run over by a truck.

I also felt a sharp pain on my left side and on my chest. Fuck. It took me several seconds to realize I wasn't alone there. Looking over from the corner of my eye, I noticed someone was attaching my metal arm back again.

It was (Y/N). I took a sharp breath and inhaled loudly. She got caught up, not expecting to see me awake. "Oh- I'm so sorry, did I wake you?".

She didn't manage to finish attaching the piece as she waited for a response, and I shook my head. I could say I was glad I have finally gotten it back, but I was beyond pissed.

My mouth was dry, and I was feeling like shit. I tried to lift my torso and sit up, but she stopped me right away. I shot her a confused and annoyed glare.

"You're not supposed to be moving too much, Master" She said in a whisper. "Do you need anything? I- I can let the doctors know you're awake. Luke fell asleep on the couch".

Then I looked on my left side and saw my little boy all curled up, deep in his sleep. I sighed, he must have been really worried about me. Confused, too.

It was taking all of me to not call her out after what happened to me. But I wasn't going to do that, not in front of Luke.

"I want you to finish this-" I looked over my faux arm. "And I want you to be out". My voice came out hoarse from the lack of speaking and drinking water.

(Y/N) looked at me in complete shock, but nodded and didn't say another word.

As soon as she finished it - which didn't take her much, since she was professional at it - I watched as she stood up from her chair. (Y/N) kept her gaze on the floor the entire time, not even noticing when I gripped my metal fingers around her wrist tightly.

Her eyes shot up to where I was holding her, and she hesitantly looked at me. "This is-" I had to clear my throat as my voice wouldn't come out. "This is your fault, I hope you know it".

I let go of her, staring at her back as she made her way out of the room. I pinched the bridge of my nose and muttered under my breath.

Lukey was still out, and I didn't want to wake him up.

-

It took me two fucking days to actually get released from the medical bay as they wouldn't let me get out at all. My stab wound was barely healed, even though they made sure I would be able to be up and walk.

I spent almost the entire day with Luke, helping him with his homework, as well as playing with his toys or teaching him a few mechanic skills I learned back in Tatooine.

When I could finally do something rather than being completely useless, I headed to the office where we usually plan our missions. I walked past the door and Cal hurriedly came to meet me with a hug.

I groaned from the touch and he realized he pushed the boundaries. "I'm sorry, Master! Jesus, I forgot about it for a second there. I'm just glad you're up and good".

He started rambling, and I placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down, "I appreciate it".

I smiled briefly before sitting down on the desk, releasing a low sigh. It's only been two days and I already missed being out there.

After discussing for a couple of hours, we were all dismissed for a gathering outside the Temple. I excused myself and made my way to the dining hall, where Luke should be having lunch with his few friends and C-3PO.

I felt my spine become rigid and my hand went cold as I saw him bonding with (Y/N), again. I couldn't help but roll my eyes in annoyance, trying to simmer down. I haven't forgotten I was pretty mad for what happened.

"Luke!" I called out in a rather loud tone and he looked my way. The boy waved at me and proceeded to get back at what he was doing with her.

She barely looked at me and I knew she was keeping her guard up when I was around. I walked toward them, watching as she managed to handle a T-16 skyhopper toy. It was probably his.

-

NO POV

(Y/N) felt her heartbeat go off too fast, and she could hear her blood pumping through her veins. After what happened between them two days before, she couldn't even handle being near him again.

And the fact she was found making company for Luke made the situation even worse. She followed his steps as he approached them and sat next to the boy.

It was like he was never really calm. He was constantly angry or frowning at everyone and everything. The only moments he seems to be at peace is when he's with Luke.

"What did I tell you the other day?" Anakin mumbled, not even disguising how he glanced at her. His son pouted and apologized.

"He came to me, asking to help him with hi-" (Y/N) was about to explain but he cut her off.

"Didn't I make myself clear the other day? You have to stay close to 3PO" He pretty much sounded coarse, although he wasn't yelling.

"He said she's trustworthy, daddy. And she was helping me set up my toy" Luke kept his head down the whole time, not daring to look up at his father.

This is ridiculous, she thought. What? He thinks she's gonna literally lose it and kidnap him? Or just vanish with the kid without anyone noticing?

He huffed, still not giving two fucks if she was there or not. Anakin tried to look indifferent by the way his son was literally trusting a person he couldn't trust. Someone who was strange to them. Well, quite like it.

"I'm sorry, I have work to do" She gathered her things and rushed out of the table without even looking back.

Anakin took the toy from his son's little hands and gave it a look. "What's up with it?".

Luke sat on his lap and pointed to one of the wings. "One of the wings is hanging loose. I thought she could fix it, since she fixed your arm".

He sounded frustrated, especially because his father noticed how low the boy's voice came out. Anakin felt guilty about Luke and swallowed hard.

Maybe he could fix it himself. Or maybe he could ask some engineer or a Droid to do it.

He just didn't want to have to see her again.

-

He was definitely frustrated. He felt like he wasn't being a good father, like he wasn't able to actually educate his son and be there for him all the time. Even though he had time to rest his body and heal faster, Anakin felt worn out.

Obviously he noticed the way people looked at him, even his fellow Masters. It didn't matter to him to be honest, he already made himself clear that he didn't care about that.

His eyes were holding a shadow of sadness and frustration with himself; they weren't vibrant with the same determination he had before. The blue irises became cold and sad.

He was in the training room, practicing his movements with the newly fixed robotic arm. Anakin couldn't actually complain about the job they had done, because it seemed to work better than before.

The limb was polished, even. He swooned his lightsaber around the room, avoiding any abrupt movement to prevent any harm to his wounds.

It was a lot easier when Obi-Wan was around. He definitely had a good mood to practice, he was always supporting his apprentice. 

Sometimes, when it got too quiet, Anakin would hear his rough words shout out to his former Master.

"I hate you!" He had just lost the love of his life. "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you".

"Were". "Loved". It felt like his heart got ripped out of his chest and stomped on.

After that, he promised he wouldn't trust anyone. Besides C-3PO and R2-D2, he knows he can barely trust the other Jedi he goes on missions with.

His mind goes way back. To the day his mother died. To the day Padmé died. To the day he felt betrayed by Obi-Wan. To the day Palpatine left him behind, beaten up and mourning for his losses.

It has been six years already. He should've gotten over it. He has Luke now. He has the Droids; and somewhat, he had Cal Kestis, who was a loyal Jedi and colleague.

His flesh knuckles were almost raw from the punches he was throwing at the punching bag. It was becoming hard to reach his relief that day. He let out a strangled groan as he threw his final jab, sending the bag flying.

Anakin fell to his knees, feeling defeated. He didn't want to cry out his sorrows, he told himself he was past that.

From the corner of his eyes, he felt like he was being watched. The shadow standing behind the closed doors was glancing at him with a knowing look.

They have been there before. 

@jackie-on-the-loose @adorbzliz @himesuedi @kingdomhate

[tobiasdrake]

Do you think Anakin Skywalker's redemption balances out the evils of Darth Vader? I ask because sometimes I think about it, and it seems disproportionate to think that killing one old fuck who was harming a blood family member makes up for murdering people indiscriminately for decades. But maybe that's just cynical thinking on my end.

I have such complicated feelings about the redemption of Darth Vader. Because. Like. Star Wars and I do not get along well on a pretty fundamental level. Despite being built on a pretty simple basis of White-and-Black morality - White Hats and Black Hats with very little nuance or moral complexity between - I don't think Star Wars as it exists today really gets morality.

Here's the thing.

At the time it was written, within the scope of what Star Wars originally was, it made sense.

Star Wars was not designed to be this massive multimedia franchise with hundreds of entries and elaborate storylines starring every single character ever to appear for even five seconds. It was not made to be the story of a vast universe with no true main character.

Star Wars was made to be the story of Luke. It's a Chosen One space opera faerie tale about a young boy receiving a call to adventure, discovering great power within himself, and finding his place in the world.

Vader's redemption, as originally written, wasn't about Vader. It was Luke's catharsis; His reward for resisting the temptations offered by both Obi-Wan and the Emperor and instead choosing mercy. Luke ends his story by putting faith in his father's love for him. Vader's redemption is his reward for choosing to believe in better angels.

Strictly within the context of The Story of Luke Skywalker And Nothing Else, Vader's redemption works.

But Star Wars isn't the story of Luke Skywalker and nothing else anymore. Now it is about the vast universe of characters and ideas. This transition has resulted in a lot of friction because the original trilogy made choices that work for The Story of Luke but are not conducive to horizontal storytelling.

Like. The idea of the Jedi being gone, that Luke is the "last hope" for the Jedi because there's literally nobody left but him and Leia? Yeah. Writers have been going "NO HE DIDN'T SAY THAT YOU'RE WRONG" pretty much since the EU began. The original trilogy said no other Jedi but we want to have Jedi characters in stories we write so the original trilogy gets told to go fuck itself.

There are like eighty billion Jedi running around the Imperial Era now. Nobody actually died in the Purge 'cause not being able to write Jedi characters isn't fun.

And. Unfortunately. One of those problems is Vader. Because if he's not just Luke's cathartic reward for believing in his father's love? If we have to actually engage with this man as a "real" person within the context of a universe? Then. Uh. Yeah, he's Patient Zero for unsatisfying lightswitch redemptions.

The problem, the fundamental problem underpinning Vader's redemption, is that he doesn't change in any meaningful way.

There was a bit of that already present in the original redemption. In Empire Strikes Back, Vader wanted Luke to join him and then they'd kill the Emperor together. In Return of the Jedi, Vader joins Luke and then kills the Emperor for him. Right from the get-go, he already wanted to kill the Emperor with Luke; It's only the context surrounding the act that's different.

Within the Story of Luke, it nonetheless works because Luke receives his father's love and approval without compromising his, Luke's moral values to get it. His father kills the Emperor and dies for him, which is super meaningful from Luke's (and only Luke's) perspective.

But as the series grew, Vader's redemption became further devalued. Revenge of the Sith told us that this is a man whose road to wickedness came about when he threw away everything he loved, when he murdered the people in his court, out of a violent and desperate love for his family. For his family, he will betray his own side and slaughter those he was meant to be loyal to. That is the action that brought him to where he is today.

That. Uh. That makes it feel a lot less impactful when he suddenly betrays his own side and slaughters the Emperor for Luke. Like. I don't know how Palpatine didn't see that coming when it's just Anakin doing the thing that made him Vader in the first place.

There is a point to be made that Anakin's love for his family up to that point was possessive and violent. In jealousy and rage, he choked Padme to death. He cut off Luke's hand. This is not a man who loves his family well. But Return of the Jedi doesn't undercut that in any meaningful way. He can be violently possessive of his family and stab anyone who looks at them funny; These two things don't contradict each other.

This man butchered children and lightsaber dueled Obi-Wan because he was mad about his family. Did Palpatine really think he wasn't going to huck him down a reactor shaft for literally the exact same reason, no difference whatsoever?

But that's only the tip of the iceberg, because the developing Star Wars universe makes another significant point about Vader dying for Luke: In the grand scheme of things. Like. Who gives a shit whether or not he loves his son? Insufficiently loving his family is the least of Vader's transgressions.

As early as Attack of the Clones, we see that Anakin Skywalker is a violent fascistic monster with a propensity for genocide. The Clone Wars cartoon does a phenomenal job of portraying Anakin's gradual seduction into fascistic systems of belief.

Anakin loves the idea of keeping peace via brutal military dictatorship. He has "fun" political chats with Tarkin about the merits of a galactic police state. He's emotionally abusive and violently possessive of his secret wife. He slaughters children who've done nothing to him without hesitation, sometimes because he's pissed off at other members of their family and sometimes 'cause that's just the price of keeping peace yo.

Hell, even his desire to kill Palpatine and make his family into the official galactic monarchs gets reframed into something he's wanted since Revenge of the Sith. That wasn't even a reaction to meeting Luke; he's legit wanted to supplant Palpatine with a Skywalker Dynasty forever. And we're supposed to take it as a major act of repentance when he ultimately stabs Palpatine for Luke? This man has been trying to stab Palpatine for Luke for twenty years.

All of this context makes Vader's redemption difficult to swallow in the grand scheme of things. He lived as an unrepentant brutal fascist monster guilty of multiple acts of genocide, chomping at the bit to betray his master for the sake of his family. He died as an unrepentant brutal fascist monster guilty of multiple acts of genocide who betrayed his master for the sake of his family. And the best thing that can be said of him is that he accepted Luke's lifestyle choices in the end.

A sweet moment for Luke, yet far from an inspiring transformation of a vile man into a hero - but which nonetheless inspired a thousand unsatisfying, terrible copycats.

[pomplalamoose]

I fucking love you you’re the only person who talks abt Luke and I need more stuff abt him PLEASE litreally anything will do

Really, this means SO much to me because the only reason this blog exists is an outrageous lack of Luke content, so now I'm making it myself😤

I didn't know what you would like to hear about so here's a random collection of Luke thoughts and ideas I had since August (mostly in collaboration with my girly @little-skywalker )🫶🏻

Also this turned out a little bit more nsfw than what I usually do, I hope you don't mind

• in my mind Luke is very good with children and they like him a lot in return

• so if you have been in a healthy and loving relationship with him for a while, he'll probably ask how you feel about kids of your own

• as someone who wants to avoid pregnancy at all costs I like to think he'd be very understanding about you feeling uncomfortable with giving birth to a child yourself

• because of this he'd be more than happy to adopt too

• especially because he knows what it's like to loose caregivers and grow up without knowledge about your real parents, he'd be so enthusiastic to raise orphans with all the love they deserve

• along with the ones already in his Jedi Academy, you'd have a shit ton of kids around

• related to this I can totally see him giving out fun stickers as rewards

• the children cleaned their rooms? Sticker. They did their house hold chores? Sticker. They did well at school? Sticker. They made him laugh? Sticker.

• he likes to give you some too if that's what you want

• (although for wildly different reasons)

• when he's in a good mood, Luke is a tease

• often about pretty innocent things like a stain of marmelade on your top or when you mispronounce a word lost in thought

• other than that he likes to gently pull your hair while he's sneaking up on you

• or to grab your nape with ice cold fingers after washing them

• he loves hearing you shriek his name and your indignant expression after

• when you're alone though, things quickly take a turn in a whole other direction

• he's never mean of course, but making you blush is one of his favorite activities

• he likes to mock the sounds you make in bed, sometimes even going as far as mimicking them

• he likes to pinch and squeeze your soft thighs, your arms and ass or your breasts until you swat his hands away

• when he discovers something new you like, you won't hear the end of it for the next few weeks

• he has a way of glancing and smiling at you suggestively while others are around that makes you fume

• Luke likes to see you in pretty lingerie, no matter whether you bought it yourself to surprise him or if he gave it to you as a present

• one can argue about his favorite colors in that regard

• my first idea was a nice pastel green to match his lightsaber

• until I realized his lightsaber is neon green

• the ultimate conclusion: Luke likes to see you in neon green lingerie

• (maybe go for black, you can't go wrong with black)

• Luke is ✨well endowed✨ and while not too big, he's still a lot to take

• I like to think you'd need to practice to get him fully inside of you

• he's always patient and careful with you though, and knows how to make it as pleasant as he possibly can

• he doesn't want to hurt you

• that said, sometimes he tends to forget himself while you are going at it

• when at first he was slow and gentle, he sometimes gets a little bit too into it and his thrusts grow rough, almost bruising

• he'll catch himself quickly and apologize, though if you liked it, he may be willing to change up his pace a little bit

• I'd like to add how insanely attractive that man is as well

• everything about him is good looking, even (or especially?) his hands

• they are simply made to be kissed and licked

• (imagine sucking on his fingers)

• also it'd be nice to just be held by them

• your hand would completely disappear in his

• and they are always nicely warm

• I'm sure that Luke is very strong as well

• he didn't train in that swamp on Dagobah for nothing

• we all have noticed his arm muscles

• that combined with his height, he's easily able to manhandle about everyone

• the children love when he picks them up to spin them around or to throw them up in the air as if they weigh next to nothing to him

• you like to be picked up as well, especially if he then pins you to a wall

• or down on his bed

• if he wants to cuddle there is not much you can do about it

• while I'm not necessarily into nicknames or other kinds of endearments, the thought of being called bunny by Luke drives me crazy

• I find it to be fitting in every kind of situation too

• it doesn't matter if it's said in a soothing manner or just casually during the day

• imagine him calling you bunny to admonish you

• OR when you're bouncing up and down on his enormous d-*gunshot noise*

[charmwasjess]

So, let's say George Lucas was more self aware producing/directing the prequels and hired you to reign him in/keep him on track. How would the prequels be different?

What a fucking FUN question. :D I've been chewing over this in my inbox for a couple days.

Honestly you couldn't pay me enough to write for Star Wars, and that's not just because I'd be fired on my second day for making it so gay. I think there absolutely are problems in the prequels, but I also think no matter what films they made, it was going to be a difficult tango of trying to keep an existing fanbase happy while attracting new ones, doing the old story homage but also not just retreading stale territory, and the fact that an entire generation came up with headcanons for what the Clone Wars or young Obi-Wan or Vader was like in that era, and no matter what you do, someone was going to be disappointed.

I also have a ton of sympathy for Star Wars writers in general - I see stories like Mike Chen who wrote the Brotherhood novel having to get the book together in three months over 11 drafts or the Rebels writers working unpaid nights and weekends to try to land the story they loved decently because they weren't given enough time or money. I don't know what it's like to write or create content for Lucasfilm, but I can't help but think of Warren Fu, who created the iconic General Grievous design for Lucas, later drawing himself as Sifo-Dyas being drained of blood to create Grievous. The metaphor he chose there is, um, interesting, to say the least, and I wonder how it reflects on his time at Lucasfilm. I see these anecdotes all the time of writers and creators working incredibly hard for little money or recognition and then their passion project gets changed or sidelined by the powers that be within the franchise.

ANYWAY THAT SAID HERE'S HOW I'D FIX THE PREQUELS- I think it's really a matter of redrafting what's there because so much of it is really good and has great potential. I just rewatched the Phantom Menace, so that's on my mind. Yeah, I remember being little enough that Jar Jar Binks was funny to me - I love Ahmed Best - but having just rewatched it, Jar Jar gets a ton of screentime and that could be better balanced. AND oofa-doofa, the racist accents/stereotypes. Cut cut cut. Rework.

Otherwise, I think there's a tendency - and some of it was the popular movie tropes at the time the films were going out - to rely on Idiot Plot. OOPS, Anakin didn't mean to go to the big space battle!!! He just won the day on accident!! To a lesser degree, many other characters make it through the movie by just sort of guessing and lucking their way into it as a narrative choice. Just going by the fact that the films need to be about the good guys losing because it's a prequel for a saga with no Jedi, I'd like a little bit more agency for them. More moments of saying "yes, I want to do this" and less "wow, what the hell is going on?!"

The other big change I'd make is give Obi-Wan a much larger role in the Phantom Menace, and Padme a bigger part in both AotC and especially RotS. (Actually, she really kicks ass in TPM. That moment where she shoots through the window and the duel of the fates music swells? Ascension guns!! I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.) I think Anakin is the most sympathetic when he's seen through the eyes of characters who love him and vouch for him. And Obi-Wan is honestly barely in TPM - it's all Qui-Gon, who I love, but I could see the film being really successful through him as our perspective/focus character instead. The way that Luke Skywalker takes us with him on this adventure and shows us the story. Obi-Wan could do that very effectively. And as much as the prequels are about Anakin's fall, they're also ultimately a story of Obi-Wan's survival.

And I'd cut Count Dooku, for no reason other than I don't like how weird I got about that guy.

[generalkenobee]

Son Of Vader pt.3

Luke Skywalker x reader

Warnings: Smut, rough sex, Luke taking his anger out of you, ass slapping, name calling, degrading, bondage, they have a safe word (it isn't used but still all is well if ykyk), manhandling, missionary, he's a bit of a meanie, he cums inside for the first time so it's kinda fluffy, commander kink(?)

You knew exactly why you were here, your wrists were tied together and you were being toyed with.

"baby I'm sorry!"

"awhh, you're sorry? Are you really?"

"yes!" You screamed out in response

"that's too bad" Luke said slapping your ass making you flinch "I told you to wait in my quarters didn't I?" You were too scared to say anything "didn't I?!"

"Yes sir!" Your response came out as if you were waiting to say it.

It sounded strange but all this was making your body involuntarily react. Your legs squeezed around Luke's thigh, he had you pinned to the bed, yelling at you but all you could think about was the warm feeling in your lower belly spreading out all the way down to your toes and up to your scalp. You continued to slowly rock yourself on his thigh, moving your arms up to wrap around his neck.

"maker.. such a filthy whore but you're my filthy whore aren't you?" Luke questioned while he undressed him self "yes sir..."

His black robes fell to the floor before he climbed on top of you, cupping your cheek and resting his thumb on your bottom lip. "You know that I love you, and you know that we have our word right?" "Yes sir" you responded, taking his thumb into your mouth and swirling your tongue around it.

Luke loved to know how much power he had over you, he loved knowing that he was in charge. Luke was a bossy prick, only he was kinder towards you, he may call you names and manhandle you from time to time but he was still the same Luke Skywalker, kind, considerate, loving, he always put your needs before his own as well.

Your sith boyfriends medal hand came up to your throat, not squeezing at all but just kind of halsing you by it and reminding you that he was in charge. Luke's pretty pink lips curled up into a smile "you wanna get fucked? Is that why you came out of my quarters looking for me?" He felt it, he knew that's why you left every thought that crossed your mind yesterday as you left, he could see. "Yes.." you were so embarrassed you could have just waited for him to return "that's right, you could have" he paused "but you were too cock hungry hm?"

His voice was overly sweet, like how a mother talks to her new born baby. " Say it"

"I was too cock hungry to wait for you to return" your voice was shaken with shame and embarrassment.

"be a good bitch and touch yourself while I watch" your mouth fell open slightly, letting a shaky breath out. "L-Luke"

"that's commander to you..now" he looked at your shaking hand down to your cunt. Swollen slightly from lack of attention. Your middle finger went from your hole up to the very top of your clit making you suck in a big breath, letting it back out when your finger when back down.

"good bitch. Imagine if your old rebel friends could see you now... Getting yourself off In front of me ? They'd be so disappointed"

"Luke.. Luke please touch me" you begged, rubbing your clit faster now "I need you"

•••

Luke's cock was so penetrating, it felt like he was up to your chest it was so big but it was amazing. He always made sure you were okay even though he was fucking you like he hated your guts. "S-Such a good b-bitch.." Luke's voice was breaking from pleasure while he rammed into you.

"fuck commander.. you're so good" your fingers tugged at his blonde roots while he bucked his hips into you, holding your ankles up on his shoulders "shit.." Luke gets lost in pleasure to the point of not being able to have a comprehendible thought or sentence. "Fuck baby I love you so much.." Your boyfriend kissed you roughly, tangling your tongues together " baby can I cum inside? Please please please baby I need you!"

Your lips kissed at his ear "fill me up commander Skywalker" Luke's body spasmed, his thrusts becoming uncontrollable

It seemed like your cunt was trying to milk him when you finished, and who was he to refuse when you were beckoning him in with your pulsing and twitching.

•••

"I care about you, you know that's why I didn't want you out of my quarters right?" His tone was soft

"I know baby"

WOW LOOK I ACTUALLY GOT IT DONE 💖

[stacotto]

Ok, wow, that episode was soooooooooo fucked up™ and I have so many thoughts™.

First off, absolutely heartbreaking to see Suletta throw herself into The List and taking care of the Greenhouse to cope with the fact that she just lost everything and she blames herself for it all (which hits really fucking close). She thinks she deserves it and I just wanna reach through the screen and tell her it's not her fault at all.

Lauda is still emotionally constipated and can't express gratitude without insulting someone in the process.

Shaddiq really out here proving why the emblem for Grassley Defense Systems is a snake, the bastard. Really hope he dies at Guel's hand, the Akihiro vs. Iok vibes are strong here.

Schwarzette was a Jeturk machine to no one's surprise, origin is cool though, Vim making it behind the scenes (likely ever since cutting a deal with Prospera all the way back in episode 2). I get the feeling Suletta's going to be the one fielding it first.

So two things that really stuck out to me during the Backroom Trio scene, 1). the fact that Peil has an AI decide who's who gives me such Destiny Plan vibes and makes the four CEOs that much creepier, and 2). El5n and Norea need to just bang already.

On Mio's plan to use Aerial as a symbol of de-escalation, I think Luke Skywalker said it best: "This is not going to go the way you think"

And of course, the big reveal: Suletta, and the eleven other consciousnesses inhabiting the GUND bits, are all clones of Eri - the bits to expand her consciousness and autonomy, and Suletta herself to act as an interface to the physical plane. It was legitimately heartbreaking to see that Suletta was effectively "born" the day Eri "died", which horrifyingly reveals that Elnora didn't suddenly just snap the moment Eri's body gave out - she saw it coming and prepared ahead of time. Jesus fucking Christ.

I have thoughts about Eri rejecting Suletta. She's clearly coming from the same "cruel to be kind/break her heart to save her" place as Miorine - she never wanted Suletta to be an accessory to Prospera's revenge from the get-go - but y'all keep throwing her out without a lifeline, and banking on someone else picking up the pieces. I am curious though, to see exactly how much Eri cares about revenge; we know she's in on it - again, she just doesn't want Suletta involved - but from her PoV back in Cradle Planet, she made it seem like she had no choice but to go along with it, so that may provide an interesting turning point, we'll have to see.

There has to be a reason Secilia is on the other side of the confession booth therapy room, hopefully for more than just comedy.

That came out a little more rambly than I anticipated, but man, this episode was a wild ride.

[kalinara]

I did think I would feel a bit more satisfied when an actor finally confirmed what, I think, most of us knew about Kylo Ren's intended arc in the Sequel Trilogy.

Blah, blah, the redemption arc wasn't supposed to happen. Kylo was supposed to be a villain throughout. Where's that Captain Holt vindication gif when you want it?

I'd agree, personally, that it would have made for a better movie if Kylo had remained the big bad. Adam Driver, I think, is the one who really missed out. I feel like he missed out on his chance to go full out, balls to the wall evil overlord. He'd have killed it, I suspect. And I say that as someone who isn't particularly a fan of the guy.

I do think though I get why they went with a half-assed redemption arc, though. I don't think it had anything to do with the Reylos (the kiss maybe, but I'd like to think they're smart enough to realize that rabid shippers generally don't go for the romantic - die for your love type of ending. At least not if the hot guy is doing the dying...)

I think it's because of Carrie Fisher's death.

They'd said for a while that the third movie was supposed to be Leia's, in the way that TFA was Han's, and TLJ was Luke's. Whether or not this made you optimistic probably depends on how much you liked the fates of those characters in those movies. I didn't hate them, personally.

I'm not going to speculate too hard on what the original story would have been. I certainly can imagine some pretty epic stuff with Princess Leia as the Big Good set against her son as the Big Bad. But...well...when you lose one of your primary actors before you get a chance to actually film anything...well, that limits what you can do.

I suppose that's why I'm willing to give Rise of Skywalker a bit more slack than a lot of folk. They were kind of stuck. Ultra-evil Kylo Ren is a more satisfying story with the set up they had, but it's also a tragedy. For what it's worth, the man does have a mother, who will grieve him if no one else does.

Except...we can't actually film the grieving, can we? We can't film the confrontation between despairing mother and lost son - whatever resolution was likely to happen. We can, at least, use some lost footage to TRY to build the relationship between Leia and Rey that needs to happen for that side of the story, but even then, we'll need Force Ghost Luke to help with the more reactive parts.

And of course, they need to write Leia herself out as gracefully as possible. In a way that doesn't require a lot of new footage and still gives the character a sense of accomplishment. Otherwise, you might as well have just blown her up with Hosnian Prime.

So...half assed redemption arc. With not-exactly-force-ghost Han to help there. I do feel like they could have done a better job with Kylo's part there. You know, made it look like he was at least interested in doing something OTHER than violating a woman's mind and terrorizing her for a good third of the movie. But well. No one's ever completely happy with things.

I don't know. In the end, I think the folks behind the Sequel Trilogy did what they could to give us a final, reasonably satisfying conclusion. There were fuck ups along the way (see: Finn, see: Poe. Though that fuckery started with TLJ, IMO) but, I think if we sat down and watched all nine movies in a row, and got to Rise of Skywalker's closing scene...I think we would end it feeling like we'd reached a workable ending to the Skywalker Saga.

Probably because we'd be too exhausted to notice the plotholes at that point. C'est la vie.

[just-prime]

Parachuting into your inbox because I'm ready to throw my phone into the sea, after seeing all of these posts about Ahsoka showing Luke Anakin's training holocrons.

IT WOULD BE CUTE, YES.

That is, if it made ANY sense for Ahsoka to have them at this point in time, let alone for them to still exist.

More terrible writing for fan service and we can't keep letting them get away with it.

Ahsoka left the temple with nothing but the dress on her back.

As far as we know and can easily gather from her living in the lower levels and having presumably sold her akul tooth headdress - the one symbolic tie she had to the only cultural identity she had that wasn't the Jedi, the only one she could still associate positive feelings with, she was not meeting up with any Jedi or Padme, and therefore was not hiding them at the Martez warehouse.

And it isn't likely that Anakin would have tried to find a way to find them to her. It isn't illegal to own a lightsaber, but Anakin kept them hoping that she would one day come back, making it even more likely that he kept her training holocrons.

Why, after all, when Ahsoka said she didn't want to be a Jedi, would she have either found a way to ask for them, or Anakin thought they would be a welcome parting gift, and there was no time.

We can then easily infer that the holocrons could only possibly have been relocated from her quarters to four places:

- Anakin's quarters in the temple

- Anakin's quarters on his Venator

- Ahsoka's quarters on the Tribunal, in the unlikely event that in the flurry of Anakin only being able to give her sabers back and leaving for Coruscant

- The archives in the Jedi temple, possibly to be used for training other Padawans, or for more secure storage

One of those three places (and the most unlikely) were destroyed, the other Vader had direct access to.

Are we really to believe he didn't ensure there wasn't a single trace left of any of the virtual time capsules of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker?

He minimally took them to Mustafar and hid them in a closet, but it's much more likely that he destroyed them.

I want as much Anakin and Ahsoka content as the next person, but I am beyond tired of heartstrings, including mine, being tugged on through shoddy writing that insists on breaking canon and logic repeatedly in order to evoke said emotional response from the audience, and distract them from the fact that this show is riding on nostalgiabaiting and milking beloved relationships from much better written shows (when this show didn't put in the work to earn it).

The sad reality is that this clusterfuck of a show isn't actually delivering satisfying nor compelling storytelling at all.

Name dropping fan favorites while saying absolutely nothing about them, while depending on Ray Stevenson and Hayden to carry this show on their backs through their excellent performances isn't good enough.

I really think that people either feel afraid of speaking openly about the show, or they are settling for worse than mediocrity, while Filoni is getting away with murder, giving Ahsoka holocrons and psychometry she shouldn't have, because he doesn't know how to tell his story without doing so.

I wanted Ahsoka to have a show worthy of the character she was up until the end of Rebels. Those who haven't watched her in animation aren't going to walk away from this series understanding why Ahsoka is so beloved, and it's a tragedy.

I wanted live-action only audiences to watch this show and be driven to give The Clone Wars and Rebels a chance, instead of doing the opposite.

I wanted to love this show instead of wanting to eat a plank of wood. Your scathing and accurate reviews are a balm for my soul right now. Wednesday can't come soon enough. Then the healing can begin.

Until the next Filoniverse show.

Exactly. All of this is so fucking true.

Filoni's playing around like a child in a sandbox. Except he doesn't care if the sandcastles he's knocking down are his or not.

The one of the earliest examples, but also the deepest cut that I can think of is the needless recon (and weird whitification) of Kanan in the beginning of The Bad Batch.

Now, a lot of people don't know this, but Kanan had his own book, exploring his backstory and how he came to meet Hera. It was also turned into a 12 issue comic run called Star Wars: Kanan: The Last Padawan which was how I knew about it. The story depicts Kanan and Depa Billaba final moments together, including banter with their clone troopers, on a very obviously desert planet, with no Bad Batch people in sight.

And there are numerous other examples of written Star Wars content being thrown in the bin by Filoni, like massive portions of the Ahsoka novel that was needlessly condensed for Tales of the Jedi. It's obvious that he must have nothing but contempt for the canon Thrawn books given how he's made Thrawn into some insane pro-imperial warlord that doesn't even fit with his Rebels characterization in a void, let alone his book characterization on top of it.

AND we all know it doesn't stop at written works either. Midichlorians, while incredibly stupid, are a pivotal part of Star Wars now and don't just get to be thrown away cuz Filoni doesn't like them. Entire character arcs have been utterly scrapped for the sake of the disgusting GirlBossification of Bo Katan, for the sake of making Luke more mystifying while seeking synergy with the sequels, for the sake of having an easy marketing ploy with Ahsoka the Jedi.

For me, this all ties back to the fact that Filoni actively discouraged people from watching the previous shows. It was a warning flag then that has morphed into the massive red flag that it is now. He doesn't want people watching the old shows, because he wants to appeal to a larger audience who is naive and will eat this shit up. The amount of people who I've seen online who are singing the praises of the show, but admit to having never watched Rebels let alone Clone Wars is really concerning. Because it proves exactly who his target audience was with this.

Which is such a shame because even on it's own, Ahsoka is a bad show. As previously discussed here, the choreography is laughable and the acting from everyone is that of a cardboard cutout and how the pacing is absolutely fucked and how the costumes could be outdone by a 5 year old's first cosplay. But that's not even touching the lackluster sets, and the really weird messaging (both @trashquisitor-shirozora and @kanansdume have extensive metas on the show's treatment of Xiono that are definitely worth the read), and so much more.

But to return to your original reason for persecuting in, yes. Those cards should not exist, in any way shape or form, and the fact that they do without explanation is fucking ridiculous.

[thought-42]

It gets harder every year

Star Wars, 2050 words, Luke Skywalker, Ezra Bridger Luke has acquired a Mandalorian and is maybe panicking a little. It's fine. He nows a guy. Set in a universe where Ezra wound up in the Chiss Ascendancy post-Rebels and eventually he and Luke became like. Space internet friends. Don't worry about it. *

Luke Skywalker, pinnacle of Jedi calm and patience, only does four laps around the school while he waits for his comm signal to work its way through seven layers of encryption and a long string of relay nodes stretching across lightyears, vast and unknowable, between his current location and his target.

“No,” Laezra says as soon as he picks up. His little hologram is blurry and half a second out of sync with the audio, but Luke can still see the way his hair is flattened on one side and standing straight up on the other, and he's holding the comm in such a way that his (probably bare) chest is out of frame. There is, perhaps, a timezone issue Luke should have taken into account.

“You're so rude,” Luke says. “This could be an emergency.”

“Is it?”

“The point is that it could be. And you, my only peer, my only fellow Force user, you who stand in brotherhood with me against a harsh and uncaring universe–”

“Your sister exists and is literally a princess”

“What value does the royal title hold within the forced diaspora, really? Also the last time I asked if she wanted to meditate she threatened to tell someone I don't pay taxes.”

“That's an actual criminal crime, for the record. What kind of example are you setting for your students?”

“I have two students,” Luke says. “One of whom I'm related to. Besides, didn't you meet your master in the middle of a criminal crime?”

“It's not a crime if it pisses off the Empire,” Laezra says automatically, then, “Luke, please. I am so tired. There was a whole... thing. I haven't slept in my own bed for three weeks. My student had to use her lightsaber in actual combat for the first time. I had to side with my commanding officer against my mentor, even though the asshole was absolutely in the right, and I'm feeling some kinda way about it. Sometimes preemptive action is good, actually, but don’t tell anybody I said that.”

“Sorry,” says Luke. “Is she ok? Your student, I mean.” Laezra still refuses to tell Luke the name of his or his fellow Navigator Jedi's student, and wierd trust issues aside, it makes conversation grammatically difficult sometimes.

“Yeah. We're ok. We were both doing twelve hour shifts on the way home, though, because I guess ‘we aren’t Sky Walkers’ doesn’t mean ‘we aren’t Sky Walkers’ when the ship’s actual Sky Walker is made of germs and fever and barf. Then it becomes ‘jump-by-jump is so inefficient, this information is so critical, everybody’s so tired. Have you ever had the experience of getting nosebleed blood crusted in your beard? BecauseI don’t recommend it.”

Between Leia and Laezra, Luke knows enough classified information to sink two major governments. Or at least inconvenience them a lot. 

"Ok, ok, ok," Luke decides he's going to sit down on the grass,and only realises it’s still wet from the afternoon rainstorm once his pants are already soaked. “So. Listen. You know things.”

“Wild,” Laezra says flatly. “Is this how you write report cards at your school?”

Luke glares down at the little hologram. “You know things about Mandalorians,” he clarifies. He decides he's gonna stand back up, and while he's at it he may as well do a few more laps.

“I-- Luke. Luke you can't tell me I'm the only person you know who knows a Mandalorian. Who I am, just so we're super clear, still on pretty shaky footing with, given my whole... everything.”

Luke waves this off. He is very over Laezra having fucked off on actual Purrgils, never to return, less than a year before Luke discovered he was a space wizard and could have really desperately used some support in that from someone who wasn't a hundred years old and a friend of his father's. It's so fine. He definitely doesn't lie awake imagining being one half of a pair of Jedi, back when the Rebellion had felt huge and overwhelming and kind of terrifying. Some people blow up a massive space station/doomsday weapon full of living beings (twice) and hold their evil dad in their arms while he dies. Some people ride away in a burst of martyrdom on their bffs the legendary space whales. Some people live alone but for two little kids in the ruins of a temple that they call a school, desperately trying to rebuild an entire religious and cultural institution from barely legible texts and ghosts. Some people live in another galaxy and embark on exciting new projects for an alien government where they get to research brand new Force techniques and go on adventures and live in an apartment where they can just walk across the street and buy fresh pastries whenever they want to.

Jedi do not feel envy. Jedi do not feel resentment. Jedi are always well aware that the grass is perpetually greener.

“I have a Mandalorian now,” Luke says, instead of any of this.

“Like, you... have obtained one? Are you feeding them? They need so much exercise, I cannot emphasise this enough.”

Luke puts his comm on the ground so he can drop his face into his hands. “He gave me? His kid? But also I think he's the king of the Mandalorians, and he keeps stopping by for visits, and I don't want to mess up.”

“This is so much,” Laezra says. “This is so much. Luke Skywalker, are you crushing on the Mand’alor?”

“Calling you was a mistake,” Luke says.

“Calling me was the opposite of a mistake, oh my God. What House? What Clan? I ask like the answer will mean anything to me, but like..... it might.”

“His name's Din,” Luke says. “I don't know if I'm supposed to tell people that.”

“And have you and Din..... you know?”

“He doesn't take his helmet off,” Luke says, helplessly. “Except once, and I think that was... not ideal. For him.”

“But was it ideal for you– sorry, sorry. Ok. Was he an Academy kid?”

“I don't think so,” Luke says. “He barely knew anything about the war. He didn't know who I was. He has a lightsaber that he really doesn't want to have, though.”

“Wait. Wait. So he's like.... the real deal. You're having sexy parent/teacher interviews with the legit Mand’alor.”

“I'm not having sexy anything with anybody,” Luke says.

“That's so sad, my guy. But hey, keep on trucking. I bet you can seduce him with your farmboy charms.”

“His son eats frogs,” says Luke. “I caught him a whole bucket full to take with him last time Din came to take him on a trip.”

“You just. ...handed the Mand’alor a bucket of frogs and his kid? ‘Have a good time, gang!’ You’re my very favourite little guy, Luke.”

“I think most of them escaped inside his ship,” Luke admits. “Which, actually, let me tell you about his kriffing ship–”

“Why am I perpetually surrounded by pilots? Luke, look at me. Look me in the eye. I don't care about his ship. Tell me about his cute kid or his dick or the actual ass Darksaber. Do not tell me about his ship.”

“It's very bad, though. It’s a bad ship and he should feel bad about it, he lets his child ride around in it, and I know for a fact his fuel injectors were recalled–”

“So were you hoping I'd... know the Mando dating cheat codes, or something?” Laezra says loudly.

Luke frowns. “I want to get to know him as a person. I'm his son's teacher. It'd be inappropriate for me to ... do anything. I'm just hoping I can maybe be a bit more culturally sensitive.”

Luke's only ever seen one propper, full-colour picture of Laezra that isn't a blue light holocall; there’s a holo on General Syndulla’s desk of a grinning teenager, limbs gawky and eyes that reminded Luke of the feral tookas he was never allowed to take home during trips into town as a kid. Even so, it's easy for Luke to picture the other man sitting in the dark of his bedroom, shoving his hands back through his hair as he groans. Luke wonders if he's the kind of person who needs to have everything unpacked and in its place when he comes home from a mission, or if he's more the 'dump bag and clothes on floor, fall face first onto nearest flat surface' type. It's probably a weird thing to wonder, but it's the sort of thing Luke knows about all his other friends.

“Ok. Luke.” He drops his hands from his hair and leans in close to his comm, so the top half of his face is all Luke sees, weird and disproportionate as the camera tries to compensate. “I bet you've probably been reading a bunch of old Jedi books or scrolls or cave paintings about the danger of attachment. Maybe your ghosts have lectured you. But that's what they are. Ghosts and old writings. You're starting something new. And-- Kanan. My Master. He loved somebody very much, and she loved him back. And he was the best Jedi I can imagine.”

“You can just say it was General Syndulla,” says Luke, who has only ever seen one mention of attachments in the documents he’s recovered, but doesn’t want to devalue what Laezra is trying to tell him.

“Ok, yeah. They loved each other so much, and I never once saw it interfere with Kanan’s dedication to helping others. To making the galaxy a safer, kinder place. If anything I think she made him better. And vice-versa.”

“I just meant,” Luke says carefully, “that I wouldn't want to risk things not working out and Din not wanting to leave his son here anymore. There's nobody else who will train him. But I’ll keep the other stuff in mind.”

“I have so many things I definitely  don't actually want to say to Ahsoka,” Laezra mutters. “But oh boy am I thinking them.”

Luke presses his lips together. He doesn't know if Laezra knows who Vader was when he was a Jedi. Doesn't know if it'd mean anything to him even if he did know. “She's got some pretty compelling reasons for the choices she makes, he says. "I don’t agree with her, but… I mean. Anybody can become dangerous if attachment gets possessive, but you've gotta admit Force users are especially risky.”

“People just keep making bigger guns,” Laezra points out. “How are they any less dangerous?”

“A gun can't get inside your head and change how you feel. It can't make you do things you wouldn't normally do.”

“Ahahaha,” says Laezra, and his hands go back over his face as he leans away from the camera. “You don't need The Force for that one, either.”

Luke winces. “Anyway,” he says, because he knows most people don't actually want to talk about their feelings, even if that seems super counter-intuitive. Whatever. “How do I become friends with the Mand'alor?”

“You keep saying it and it doesn't get any less unhinged. I don't know. You're already taking care of his kid, and you value family. You're highly skilled in combat. There's really no secret trick to it, just... be a person.”

“I've tried that,” Luke says. “I'm so bad at being a person around him though.”

“Does he like art?” Laezra asks, with a sudden burst of gleeful intensity. “Luke does he like art, this is important. I can tell you so much about art. Do you want to know which chemical combinations are the best for neon colours and also timed explosions? Do you want to know about historical graffiti culture throughout the Outer Rim? Do you want to know how to use the remaining art from the various Mandalorian factions to construct a sociopolitical thesis on their people with a focus on military tactics?”

“You know what," says Luke, "I think I hear the kids calling me.”

“Coward,” Laezra says immediately

“Go back to bed; say hi to your student for me; may The Force be with you bye.”

Laezra is still swearing at him, laughing,when Luke clicks the channel closed.

Luke, with all the dignity befitting the last Jedi Master, opens his notebook and writes 'Ask if he likes art.'

[pb-dot]

Film Friday: The Last Jedi

Oooooooooooh boy. I would say I have a complicated relationship with Star Wars as a franchise, but from what I hear from other fans I've discussed this with, that's normal and, on some level, inevitable. Star Wars is sometimes good, sometimes bad, and almost always a mix of the two. It's a part of the formula at this point, every bit as much as light sabers and obscure space religion magic. That said, there is one Star Wars movie that holds a special place in my heart, and I want to talk about it and what it did to the franchise, or at least tried to do before the Franchise Management people over at the house of mouse got scared and released a feature-length breaking maneuver of a film, but that's just something that happens some times. Let's get on with The Last Jedi.

As so often is the case in second installments, the war isn't quite going the rebellion's way, and at the start of the movie our heroes are caught in a chase to save what little of the rebellion remains. In an attempt to turn the tides, Rey seeks out the council of legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, while Finn, Poe and newly recruited mainliner Rose Tico attempt to find a way to circumvent the First Order's tracking to beat the chase.

Of course, things don't turn out quite that way. Luke is quite reluctant to get back into the "anything to do with the force"-business, and Finn, Rose and Poe find more than trouble navigating conflicting loyalties and First Order Infrastructure. It's a very "part two in the triology" kind of thing as our heroes fail, are tempted by both craven panic and the dark side, and learn the kind of lesson that, while necessary, doesn't feel all that good.

To briefly sum up the parts I don't like as much about this movie: the pacing is a bit janky, and while I think the Canto Bight sequence is good thematically, it does feel like it prolongs a part of the plot that could be better served with less space travel. It's also a bit frustrating that a major driver of the Canto Bight/pursuit plot is two pivotal supporting characters not telling the main characters things. Sure, it can be justified, but it feels frustrating to sit through on the second watch-through. Also I can't quite decide if the movie tries to set up Finn with Rose, or if we're supposed to be as baffled about that development as Finn apparently is?

Ok, now with those annoyances out of the way, WOW does this movie do some great stuff. The Rey/Luke subplot alone has so much dynamite about mentoring, learning, and growing past mistakes. Luke has spent the last... what, 10, 20 years trying to be forgotten because he doesn't consider himself worthy of being a legendary hero, having failed Ben Solo/Kylo Ren so thoroughly. Through Rey's earnest, and insistent, enthusiasm for his legend he comes to realize that whether he wants to acknowledge it or not, the consequences of his actions are out there, and if he really wants to make amends, he has to confront these consequences. It's one hell of a storyline and development to play out, and Mark Hamil does some career-best work in putting it out there.

There isn't really a good place to put this bit into the structure I wrote, but as I went through to edit this thing I remembered that I forgot to talk about the Holdo Manuever. This bit is apparently a bit controversial among the Military Logistics Of The Galaxy Far Far Away-crowd, but I fucking love it. For one, it's a twist I didn't see coming that also works just about perfectly even on re-watches, and secondly, just look at the thing. This action setpiece was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Letting physics, at least as much of physics as one can count on when dealing with FTL, do the heavy lifting in a pivotal moment feels like an inspiring choice, and again, look at it!

This movie's also I think the most sensible of the Star Wars movies when it comes to the internal politics of the villain faction, in that the interplay between familiar autocratic forms of leadership, fascism to be precise, and the obscure space magic mysticism of the Force makes for some tasty plot threads. For one, Snoke is so secure that he, alone, will be the first dark side user to not be utterly fucked over by his sole apprentice on account of his mind reading ability that he seemingly ignores the possibility of Kylo Ren learning about the concept of meta-cognition, and gets chopped all the way in half for his hubris. One of the easiest way to get couped, after all, is to believe it could never happen to you for X Y or Z reason.

And then there's Hux. Ah, the fashy wet beast of a man that is Admiral Hugs. His is a thankless job, screaming about nonspecific degeneracy and nonspecific order and getting just absolutely bodied by the dark force users of the First Order on any and all occasions. Granted, the man is the military leader of a wannabe empire whose main business is military, but that doesn't matter much. Poe dunks on him, Kylo and Snoke treat him like a puppet at best, and even when the death of Snoke might suggest a promotion, oop, no, guess what, Kylo Ren's still there and while he doesn't proclaim himself Master or anything, he certainly makes a compelling argument for him succeeding the throne of Supreme Leader. Sucks to suck, Hugs, shouldn't have subscribed to an ideology based on strength alone.

Rey's attempt at navigating the force and her identity is also fascinating to watch. The mystery of who she is exactly is an interesting driving force to the whole character arc. While I concede the point that this is in part because Lineage and Pedigree is like catnip to Star Wars fans to a worrying degree, it's also just compelling. Part of finding out who you are is, after all, a part of finding out where you came from, and in the ways you are different and similar to that origin is as good of a guide as any. With that said, it was an immense relief to me that Rey wasn't related to anyone important in the Star Wars Lore, if only because it opens up her plot so much. If she falls to the Dark Side it's because she falls to the dark side, not because she's a sapling from a line of part Force-homonculi like the Skywalkers, or like a quarter Darth Andeddu on her Mother's Side or whatever. Granted, Rey From Nowhere in particular was retconned in the following movie, and I'll GET to that. In the context of this movie at time of release though, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

It felt like an attempt to start something new. Maybe not every important character in the world is related to every other important character. Maybe the galaxy far far away is more vivid and exciting than it ever could be playing out some kind of extended Arthurian family saga. Maybe the first order is a threat not so much because they want to kill our Skywalkers, but because they're a massive conquering beast flattening culture and exploiting those they consider lesser, which is to say everyone. Maybe the stable boy is force sensitive. Maybe that'll matter, maybe that'll just be a little coda demonstrating that The Force isn't strictly a Palpatine/Skywalker family secret.

Speaking of though, let's talk about Kylo Ren some. I love Kylo Ren as a villain. He clearly styled himself on his grandpappy Anakin Skywalker, and the fact that the result is such a store brand thematic mockery is just perfect. Darth Vader didn't dress up like that because it was cool (at least in the Watsonian sense, in the Doylist sense he very much did), he's covered in all of that armor because it's his life support system. His unnerving hissing breath is his respirator chugging along. He is incredibly powerful in the force, yes, but his body is a mess, and it's a tribute to his strength in the Force that it's not a thing you notice as he takes you apart. Vader's armor is more than his armor, it's his prison, keeping him alive, bound to the Empire and the Dark Side in more ways than one. Kylo's armor looks that way because it's meant to evoke Darth Vader. Kylo doesn't need it, he just thinks it lets him be more like his grandfather. He's cosplaying, in practice, and no level of sulky angy boy antics can come close to projecting the sheer weight of Anakin's fallen splendor, which of course, only makes Kylo angrier. This is a compelling mirror to Rey in this movie IMO. Rey does not have Kylo's legacy, which makes her free in a way Kylo could never be, although Rey would probably switch in a heartbeat if she had the chance.

It's this kind of entangled conflict that makes the Rey-Kylo interplay so fascinating. Rey believes in the good in Kylo because That's What The Hero Does, but Kylo is so tied up in being Taster's Choice Darth Vader that she just doesn't get through the aura of angsty rage that surrounds him. They're not quite enemies, but far from friends, thus my choice of word "entangled." It's a pretty fun dynamic to see, and it leads to what I think is one of the better fight scenes of the sequel trilogy where Rey and Kylo are, however briefly, allies of convenience and fight through Snoke's Throne Guard. It's a rad fight because we haven't gotten too many "light sabers vs multiple semi-worthy opponents" in the main series, and because it's just so cool to see non-allies on the same side.

I suppose I have postponed talking about this movie's legacy as long as I can. It's not a task I cherish for two reasons, one, I find the current fandom focus on legacy utterly exhausting, and two, I feel this movie in particular was done dirty by its sequel, to the degree where I didn't even want to touch Star Wars for quite some time after it released.

In short, I would argue that just about every cool bit of The Last Jedi was clumsily retconned or just written out in Rise Of Skywalker. Rey from Nowhere? Gone, turns out she's Sheev "I've been dead for three movies except Sike" Palpatine's granddaughter and Kylo "I never lied to you" Ren was full of shit when he confirmed that her parents were nothing special. The power struggle between Hux and Kylo? Absolutely demolished. Sheev's back and he's brought his own Disappointing Generic Empire Guy to lead, so it's arguably not even the First Order any more. Rose Tico as a kind of Working Class conscience for the Adventure Crew? She's just kind of around and has exactly as many lines as it takes to not formally be an extra. Fuck me, if that movie managed to somehow convince me that cool Rey and Kylo fight didn't happen it'd be batting a thousand as far as ruining good shit from TLJ. Oh, and of course Finn and Poe get Plausible Deniability Girlfriends, because fuck you if you're finnpoe, right?

Anyway, this is not a review of Rise Of Skywalker, but it kind of impossible to speak of all the cool shit TLJ tried to do without acknowledging that these were very much The Road Not Taken. It's also important context to my current relationship with Star Wars. Put simply, I've lost faith. Why even bother participating in any further Star Wars media? I've clearly seen the Only Good Story Possible in Star Wars when I watched the original trilogy, considering how its the only story you're allowed to tell Post-Lucas, and any deviation from the same will lead to one of the biggest media companies in the world to ruin an entire feature-length film to meticulously undo anything that strays from the Star Wars Formula? How would any decent storyteller hitch themselves to a mess like this? How does it not become the miserable slog of content produced by work-a-day directors sleepwalking through Franchise Management-approved scripts, where nothing ever changes or grows, because the Star Wars Fans expect another of their semiregular reifications of three pretty good adventure/sci-fi films from the 70's, and heaven help you if you falter in your breathless reverence for The Legacy.

So while this isn't a review of Rise Of Skywalker, you can plainly see I didn't like it much. Do give The Last Jedi a look though, there's some neat scenes in it, and porgs.

[vanishedangels]

Blunda

Summary: In a Galaxy where the Jedi are almost forgotten, Din Djarin, a young mandalorian, is currently in his final year at Galactic Republic College. At the beginning of his last semester he meets the enigmatic Luke Skywalker, his best friend's estranged twin brother, and he grows obsessed with him almost immediately. He would do anything to win his heart, even when Luke treats him with utter disdain.

Pairing: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker

Characters: Din Djarin, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Paz Vizsla, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Koska Reeves, Cobb Vanth, Bo-Katan Kryze.

Rating: Mature (+18) Rating will change

Warnings: Emotional Distress, Manipulation.

Tags: Canon Divergence AU, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Tumblr Prompt, Eventual Smut, Luke Skywalker Whump.

Chapters: 2/?

Navigation: <- Previous Chapter • Next Chapter ->

Excerpt:

Luke moved his hand forward finally clutching the edge of the shelf. His eyes still on the silver helmet, shining charmingly under the dim light of Din's bedroom. "Gods! It's that pure beskar?"

Oh, and Din was enjoying this.

"Yes, Luke, is pure beskar." He said in a low voice, basking in the way the boy's name fell from his lips. Luke's fingers twitched a little and Din chuckled "You can touch it."

Chapter 2: Junipera

After a really tedious weekend, Din was so ready to go to class, not because he cared about galactic relations, but because he wanted to see Luke again. Maybe in a hallway or in the library, just to give him something to hold on to until History class, when he knew they would definitely be in the same room for almost two hours.

That morning, for the first time in a while, he was carefully arranging his clothes in front of the mirror, he brushed the tip of his fingers against his well trimmed sideburns, Din wasn't used to focus too much on his looks, but today, it felt natural. He sprayed himself with perfume, finally ready to leave his bedroom when he turned around and saw Paz leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest and a wry smirk on his face, he huffed feeling exposed and he put his hands on his hips shaking his head slightly.

"So, it's someone from school." Paz said chuckling, taking two steps forward "Don't tell me one of those girls from Clothing Design finally got her nails in you." He added laughing "About fucking time, hunk!" He nudged Din playfully.

That made Din growl as he was brushing past Paz.

"It's that twi'lek girl? What was her name? Xi'an? No, she's scary, can't be her." Paz followed Din to the living room walking behind him "Wait, what if it's something even creepier? What if you did bed one of our friends?"

Din was leaving their apartment grimacing at the thought.

"Oh, man, I would totally lose my shit if it's Cobb!" He added but Din never looked back, walking down the corridor and cursing him under his breath. "By the way, I've been wearing your perfume lately, Koska loves it, so, uh, stay away from her if you don't want her all over you." Din squeezed his eyes shut trying to ignore Paz' calptrap sighing deeply.

~

Unfortunately, he didn't come across Leia's brother throughout the day, still that made the prospect of seeing him in History class extra special. Din walked into the classroom and there he was, sitting at the back as usual, his head resting on his folded arms over his desk, and even when Din could only see his nose, he recognized him right away, like Din hasn't been fantasizing about running his fingers through that cute dark hair for days now.

It was a gruelling work, to be so close to Luke and avoid being tempted to look at him relentlessly, but he managed to do it, casually glancing at him every time he turned around on his seat to talk to Paz. Din thought that Luke looked even more beautiful that the last time he saw him, maybe it was the black shirt he was wearing, the top four buttons undone, showing more skin that ever before and Din was dreaming of slipping his hand under the silky fabric and stroking Luke's pale skin, and maybe peppering his collarbone with kisses. He twitched his lips trying to push those thoughts to the back of his mind, the classroom wasn't a good place to let his fantasies run wild.

But as soon as the teacher finished the class, Luke was rushing to the door and Din stood up to follow him, ignoring Paz' completely.

He rushed to Luke's side in a heartbeat, determined to talk to the boy, finally walking beside him, their forearms rubbed against each other accidentally, sending shivers down Din's spine. He gasped staring at Luke, both of them still walking. The boy was shorter than Din, with a lithe body, big hands and narrow waist, and Din couldn't help thinking about tugging at the collar of his shirt to nuzzle his neck.

"Din Djarin." Luke said bringing him out of his mind, coming to a halt, and Din followed suit. "If you're looking for my sister, I haven't seen her since last night." He added looking away and resumed walking.

"No, I was just wondering if you wanted to join me and my friends, we're-" He trailed off when he saw the way Luke turned his head staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Uh, we're just hanging out at the cafeteria." He added sheepishly.

Luke rolled his shoulders and moved slightly to face him, he blinked and Din was gaping at the way his eyelashes fluttered, it was curious but Din could notice that his eyebrows weren't as dark as his hair, they were actually blonde. Din found Luke ridiculously gorgeous, just like an angel should be. "Hold on a second, Djarin." He held up a finger and Din could tell Luke looked irked. He huffed a laugh "Did my sister ask you to do that?"

"What?" Din cocked his head.

"Just, just tell her that I don't need friends." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand huffing "You're trying so hard, huh?" He added making Din's stomach flip, he thought he was being subtle but apparently he was wearing his heart on his sleeve and he could feel heat blossoming in his chest, threatening to crawl all the way up and reach his cheeks. Kriff! Luke knew for sure that he was crushing hard on him. He swallowed tightly not able to blink. "Alright, keep trying to please her, Djarin, I'm pretty sure you'll sweep her off her feet sooner or later."

Or maybe Luke knew nothing at all.

Din sighed relieved "Wait." He said curling his hand around Luke's upper arm and the boy shot a baleful glance at him before looking down at his hand around his biceps. Din's fingers twitched before releasing him "Luke, Leia didn't say a word about that. I know you're new here, I just wanted to be friendly." He sighed leaning forward, trying to catch Luke's eyes "That's all." His chest heaved thinking that, no, that wasn't all, in truth, he wanted to know Luke intimately, he wanted to be the person Luke run to when he needed comfort, he wanted to be his man. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." He added realizing he wasn't holding Luke's attention anymore.

"Then why do you keep doing it?" Luke said clicking his tongue finally walking away from him, leaving Din utterly embarrassed and mortified, he didn't know the meaning of a bruised ego until he met Luke Skywalker.

~

"You barely touched your dinner. Would you stop poking your food with your fork, vod?" Paz told him putting his empty bowl aside "Did Cobb dump you?" He asked and chortled at him. Din stared at him and his expression hardened. "I'm joking, vod. I'm just messing with you. Sorry." He said pressing his lips together to suppress a laugh.

Din shrugged, staring down.

"So, the perfume didn't work, huh?" He insisted making Din shut his eyes tightly.

"I don't need this. I'm going to bed." Din rose to his feet.

"Don't worry, man, he or she will be crawling back to you very soon." He heard Paz saying but kept walking to his room. "Make sure they pay for this in bed." He chuckled and Din closed the door behind him as fast as he could.

~

"How did this happen, Lei?" Din asked with one arm encircling her upper body while her hand was clutching feebly at his shoulder. "I mean, you're so good at close combat."

She groaned in pain "I think my mind's somewhere else lately. Ah! Fuck Din, it kriffing hurts, I think I broke my ankle in pieces."

"I doubt it, I'm pretty sure it's just a sprained ankle." Leia was fortunate to find Din two blocks away from her house when she started feeling that something wasn't right with her ankle, she didn't notice it until she walked for a while.

"Wait, Din, wait, for fuck's sake, I can't walk anymore." She stared at him threading her slim fingers through his hair, messing it up. Din groaned scooping her up in his arms as she let out a little squeal finally resting her face against Din's neck "You're so strong, Din." She said making Din chuckle.

"Better like this?" He looked down at her face, her arm curling around his neck, she nodded pulling back a little to stare at his face.

He carefully climbed the two steps that led to the front door "We're almost there, Leia. Can you open the door?" He asked relishing in the girl's scent, she smelled like vanilla and he frowned thinking that this was Luke messing with his mind, there wasn't nothing more than friendship between Leia and him. Stupid Luke. Leia was reaching out to press her thumb on the door control panel.

When the door closed behind them, Din walked into the living room and his mouth fell open when he saw Luke standing in front of them.

"Luke!" Leia exclaimed and urged Din to put her down. "I broke my ankle." She added still clutching Din's shoulders, her hands tugging at the fabric of his shirt and when she finally let go of him Din looked disheveled from hair to waist. Luke looked at him up and down and then shifted his gaze to his sister. Leia was pulling at his shirt's hem, trying to straighten it, Din grabbed her hand to stop her and she looked at him frowning.

"I'm not your mother, Leia, you don't need to lie to me." Luke deadpanned. "I'm leaving you alone, have fun." He said looking away.

"No, you don't understand, she hurt her ankle in a training session." Din retorted without even thinking about it, shifting from one foot to the other.

Leia leaned forward pressing her hand on his chest "Why do you tell him, don't you see he doesn't care?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh." Luke uttered approaching her "So this is for real?" She rolled her eyes snorting "Alright, let me see it."

Leia chuckled and Din knew her well enough to know she was furious "See, Din? He doesn't believe me!"

"Sit down." Luke said as he was wrapping his arms around her middle, gently guiding her to sit on the big couch, she grimaced, her brother's blue eyes fixed on her face. Luke kneeled down before her and Din couldn't help smiling softly. "Alright, we need to take this boot off." He said in a quiet voice, this was the first time Din heard him talking and being so soft to someone, and he was imagining Luke being protective of him, taking care of his wounds when he came home from bounty hunting and the mere thought was tying knots in is lower belly. He pressed his lips together when he saw Luke's strong hands around the boot, his fingers working on the buckles, undoing them one by one and Din's breaths quickened all of a sudden.

The boy looked up at him making Din startle a little "Hold her hand, Djarin."

"What for?" Leia grunted "What are you gonna do to me?" She was panting already.

"Hush, just hold Djarin's hand." He patted her good shin and nodded at her. Din bit his bottom lip at the sight and something warm bloomed in his chest. Leia nodded, her hand finding Din's. For some reason he found himself enjoying Luke being in charge.

"I swear, Luke, if you make it worse-" She gasped when Luke tugged off her boot and her fingernails were digging into the flesh of Din's hand. "It looks like a damn ball!" She snarled looking down.

"This would need ice." Luke said coming to his feet "I'm bringing some." He added heading to the kitchen.

Leia's hand was still holding Din's, but the only thing he could think about was how tenderly Luke has been treating his sister since he knew she was injured and he thought that, maybe, Luke was slowly opening himself up to her, making Din feel hopeful. So Luke isn't a cold-hearted brat after all.

~

Din spent the rest of the evening in Leia's room. After eating together, they were enjoying a holomovie when Padmé knocked the door. He walked out of her bedroom and didn't stop until he made it into the living room, he smiled sightly when he spotted Luke on the usual couch, he kept walking until he finally sat down next to him. Luke was barefoot, feet on the couch, knees bent close to his body holding his datapad against his thighs. Din thought that the fact that Luke wasn't looking daggers at him was a good sign. Maybe something shifted between them as well.

"You knew exactly what to do." Din said staring at him, Luke's eyes were still on his datapad. "I mean, you kept your cool and helped her. Looks like you've done this before." He hunched forward propping his elbows on his knees.

Luke hummed "Kinda." He said not taking his eyes off his datapad "I'm a self-taught." He said under his breath and Din could have sworn his voice broke a little.

"Well, you did good." He stated still trying to draw his attention.

And he did. But he regretted it as soon as he got Luke's eyes on him, the boy was scowling at him "It wasn't that difficult, I just put some ice on her ankle." He shook his head "What are you trying to do? Praising me? Treating me like I was some kind of hero? I'm not saving the Galaxy here."

Din eyes widened as his throat tightened, he didn't know what he has done wrong this time, but Luke was upset again and that was making him feel uneasy. Besides, he suspected that Luke wasn't talking about taking care of Leia anymore but about an entirely different matter.

"Look-" Luke said tossing his datapad to a side "We're rich kids trying to please our parents, that's all."

"I'm not a rich kid." Din retorted understanding that, indeed, Luke was talking about a different matter.

Luke frowned "Then how did you get into the college program?"

"I got a scholarship. My tribe leader is a very respected mandalorian and-"

Luke cut him off "Wait. You're a mandalorian?" He asked and his big blue eyes went round, Din sighed leaning back in the couch completely taken aback by his lovely face, he looked like a little kid, excited and curious.

"I am." He said in a low-pitched voice unconsciously trying to seduce Luke.

The boy leaned in and Din tilted his head to look into his eyes as his heart skipped a beat. "Where's your armour?" He asked, his blue eyes roaming all over Din's body and, Gods! It felt so good.

"We only wear our armours in battle or while on duty." He explained almost savouring Luke's lips, so close to him.

"Duty?" He asked and Din nodded. "You mean you wear it while you're taking someone out, or kidnapping some random kid for some credits, working for some powerful rich scoundrel?" Luke said ruining the atmosphere completely, leaning back.

Din's shoulders tensed up "Well, that's a harsh way to put it in words." He shrugged staring down, feeling a lump in the pit of his stomach and considering, for the first time since he met him, that Luke could look beautiful but his soul was horrible, and the boy didn't seem that alluring anymore.

"And here you are, studying in those rich scoundrels' school and mingling with their children. I would say that it worked just fine for you." Luke added, somehow twisting the knife in the wound.

"Do you always speak your mind?" Din asked balling his hands against his thighs defensively.

Luke sighed brushing his hair away from his eyes "Only when it's necessary."

"No, it's not." He argued leaving the couch "You only do this shit to push people away." He added standing before Luke, his blue eyes on him, his lips parted, Din was so furious that he didn't pay attention to his reaction "And guess what, Skywalker? It's working." He said nodding at him and arching his eyebrows.

He left the Amidala's house without even looking at Luke again, he remained silent and Din thanked Gods for that, because he wouldn't manage listening to his bitter comments anymore, he shook his head grunting, hardly believing that he even considered that he was infatuated with him. And Luke hurt him, badly, calling him a hired gun, treating him like someone who was taking advantage of being said hired gun.

"Who the fuck he thinks he is?" He asked out loud, storming into his apartment. He was in a really bad mood, so bad that Paz didn't even try to ask him what was going on, he gave Din space in lieu of teasing him as he usually did.

He convinced himself that he could get Luke out of his system, and he was doing well, he managed to stop having fantasies about him, getting over that initial charm until art class by the end of the week. Din thought that nothing would go wrong if he stuck to his plan, ignoring him completely, but Luke never showed up and Din spent the rest of the class torturing himself instead, plagued by intrusive thoughts, believing that he was the reason for Luke's non-appearance. He kept remembering the last words he said to him, realizing that his uncalled-for words came out brutally and maybe Luke was now avoiding him and his stomach clenched at the mere thought.

Out of guilt and desperation he went to the Amidala's house, the servant droid announced him and Leia was standing by the big couch, smiling widely at him, hands on her hips, sporting a floral shorts overall, she chuckled tilting her head "Hi Din! How do you like it?" She said pointing at her feet. Din blinked and looked down, Leia was wearing a big walking boot, decorated with flowers and stars stickers and Din smirked closing the distance between them.

"It suits you." He chuckled giving her a hug.

She pulled away limping "You didn't need to come to visit me, Din, nothing will stop me, I'm totally seeing you tonight." She said looking at him over her shoulder.

Tonight?

Din almost asked her what she was talking about but the only thing on his mind at that moment was Luke.

"Is Luke here?" He blurted out and Leia stopped walking, slowly turning around, Din's eyebrows rose when he saw the way her forehead puckered.

"Huh?" She asked sitting down on the couch with some difficulty, Din rushed to help her.

He shrugged "It's just, he skipped art class and I was-" worried about him, he couldn't finish the sentence without giving himself away. He would die on the spot if Leia knew her brother was the object of his desire, even when he tried to change the way he felt about Luke, he knew he was just fooling himself. He wanted Luke Skywalker, and he wanted to apologize to him for what he said the last time he was standing in that same living room.

"He's okay, he overslept and stayed at home." She said nonchalantly.

"Alright." Din muttered still believing Luke was avoiding him. He looked around pressing his lips together and putting his hands in his pockets, hunching up.

"Are you okay, Din?" She asked arching one brow and, knowing Leia, she was already suspecting something.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He nodded sitting down next to her.

"Good! Because I'm so ready for the mando party!" She said slapping his knee.

"What did you say?" Din was propping his elbow on the backrest, pointedly staring at her face.

"Paz told me about your party... Tonight." Din sighed closing his eyes. "Wait! You didn't know?"

He grunted hunching forward "That I'm giving a party? No, I didn't know." He replied and clenched his jaw "I'm gonna kill Paz." He muttered. Leia burst into laughter.

~

"Vod, I'm doing this for you." Paz said holding three bottles from the neck between his big hands "You've been so depressed lately, you need to chill out." He put the bottles down and walked around the counter placing his heavy hand between Din's shoulder blades eliciting a gasp from him. "Maybe you could pull through this shit, forget about your last hook-up, that bitch doesn't deserve you." He nodded "Choose your next victim and get laid." He laughed walking away.

Since they moved to Chandrila, Din and Paz have been throwing parties every two months, and those mando parties became legendary pretty quickly. Every apartment door on their floor remained open and people could come and go, still Din's apartment was the heart of the event.

Although Din used to enjoy those gatherings, this night was the exception. He was feeling uneasy, his apartment was unbearably crowded, the people too tactile, or maybe they were always like this and he haven't noticed that until now, and he found the music very loud to his liking. He considered that maybe he could sneak off without being noticed, he shook his head scrapping the idea and walking towards the sofa to join his friends, he prodded Paz' arm urging him to move aside and make some room for him.

He was just sitting there, staring down trying to ignore Koska and Paz making out almost leaning against him when he looked up and spotted a familiar face.

"What the fuck is doing Bo-Katan here?" Paz hooked his arm around Koska's shoulders possessively. "I thought she got the memo last time." He added through gritted teeth. Din sighed already exhausted, staring at the redhead, the girl was walking in their direction and he knew that it would only mean trouble.

"Cut it out! I've had enough of your stupid macho nonsense, she's my friend." Koska said digging her elbow into Paz' ribs.

"I don't fuck my friends." He retorted.

"Shut up! That happened ages ago!" Koska slapped his chest making Paz jolt forward.

"I'm off." Din muttered leaving the sofa. He nodded at Bo walking past her and when he looked around his eyes widened and sparkled when he found Leia talking with Cobb, and she turned around smiling at Din. Finally, the only face that he wanted to see that night.

"Having fun, Din?" She asked looping her arms around his neck, pulling him in to kiss him on the cheek.

"Yeah, totally." He lied pulling back stroking her hands around his neck "Can't believe you made it wearing that big boot." He laughed playfully.

Leia huffed withdrawing her hands from him "Wasn't easy, and I'm already worn out, but the painkillers are working just fine-" She frowned "For now." She added making Din smile.

He was offering Leia a drink when he caught a glimpse of a guy in yellow jacket that made him stand out in the crowd, Din's jaw went slack when he saw the guy's face and he blinked flabbergasted "Luke's here." He said under his breath and Leia leaned in to look at her brother.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, he came with me." She explained curling her hand around Din's biceps.

Din's chest heaved as he stood there just rooted to the spot not able to take his eyes off Luke. The boy looked gorgeous from head to toe, his black hair enticing and fluffy. Din's eyes roamed all over his form, he was wearing a black shirt under his yellow jacket and brown skinny pants that outlined his thighs in a way that shouldn't be legal. Din was staring at his ankle boots when Leia took him out of his mind by tugging at his hand.

"Don't hold your breath, he's not here because we're getting close or anything like that." She huffed "I think he offered to help me only to escape my mother. Boy, the tension between them is getting so thick that you could cut it with a knife."

Din looked at her again, he pressed his lips together feeling bad for them, still he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Luke feuding with his own mother, especially when Din considered Padmé the most lovely and nice woman he has ever met.

"Leia!" Koska was drawing Leia's attention now and Din used that distraction to walk away from them and right in Luke's direction. The boy locked eyes with Din for a brief moment and that ignited something inside him, making Din feel more confident as he swaggered closing the distance between them, dodging people in his way, his eyes fixed on Luke, the world stopped around them when Din's brown eyes met Luke's again.

Luke looked at him disdainfully but as soon as Din smiled at him, the boy's expression softened for the very first time and Din's knees weakened a little as something pleasant squirmed in his gut.

"Hi, Luke." He tilted his head boring into his blue eyes, the boy nodded and looked around and then back at Din again when he noticed that he was still standing in front of him, not making a move. "I want to talk to you. In private." He added and Luke stared at him with a dull expression on his face.

Luke shrugged one arm "But this place is choke-full of people." He quirked an eyebrow.

"Follow me." Din suggested and turned around briskly, blushing immediately not believing his own sudden boldness. He headed to a closed door and dared to cast a glance at Luke over his shoulder, his heart gave an extra beat when he saw that, indeed, the boy was right behind him, Din opened the door stepping into the room as Luke followed him, and closed it behind them.

Those blue eyes roaming around "This is your bedroom." He said looking askance at Din.

"Yes." Din ducked his head trying to hide the redness of his face "I just wanted to apologize to you."

"Why? What did you do?" He inquired.

Din gawked not able to answer him.

"Oh, is this because you lectured me the other day?" Luke asked sitting down on Din's bed, he looked down running his fingers over the soft blanket and Din swallowed through the lump in his throat trying to avert his eyes and ignoring that Luke Skywalker was right there, in his room, in his bed, just the two of them, alone, away from everyone. He squeezed his eyes shut as his breath hitched and he could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. "Are we done here?" He asked and Din opened his eyes to stare at him, and damn! The boy was bulletproof.

"I think so, except-" Din said walking to his closet and slid the door open taking a bottle from one of the shelves, he startled when he discovered that Luke was already standing by his side. Din drew in a long breath and Luke's scent overwhelmed him, the boy smelled like peaches and rain forest, he was leaning in almost resting his head on Din's shoulder, Din was breathing fast, refraining from pulling him into a kiss until he caught the way Luke's eyes widened staring at something inside the closet.

Realization hit him when he looked in front of him and found that his helmet was resting on the shelf, a pile of beskar plates placed right by its side.

"Is that your mandalorian helmet?" Luke muttered.

"Yes." He answered and a pleased smile crossed his features.

Luke moved his hand forward finally clutching the edge of the shelf. His eyes still on the silver helmet, shining charmingly under the dim light of Din's bedroom. "Gods! It's that pure beskar?"

Oh, and Din was enjoying this.

"Yes, Luke, is pure beskar." He said in a low voice, basking in the way the boy's name fell from his lips. Luke's fingers twitched a little and Din chuckled "You can touch it."

Luke gasped withdrawing his hand "No, it's okay. It's just, I've never seen pure beskar before." Din nodded staring at his beautiful face, but Luke's eyes were still on his helmet on the shelf. "I met a mandalorian once." Din's chest swelled with pride. "He kidnapped me and tried to kill me." Din's eyes went round and he felt like the air has been knocked out of his lungs.

That explained Luke's reaction when he learned that Din was a mandalorian.

Well.

Fuck!

"I'm-I'm sorry." He managed to say.

Luke shrugged "Don't be." His eyes went down to the bottle that Din was still holding by its neck "What is that?"

"A bottle." Din babbled absentmindedly making Luke laugh and he smiled taken aback by how lovely his face looked like this. "A bottle of Junipera." He added composing himself.

"Never heard about it. Is it good?" Luke asked taking the bottle from his hand and Din's skin tingled when Luke's fingers brushed against his own.

"My favourite in the whole Galaxy." Din said and he wasn't talking about the Junipera.

Luke's lips closed around the finish of the bottle and he took a sip closing his eyes, Din smiled slightly imagining how good those lips would feel against his own, all over him, around him. Luke hummed sending shivers down his spine, his pink tongue darting out, rolling over his bottom lip to savour the sweet strong kiss that the Junipera left behind "I can see why this is your favourite." He said as his blue eyes surveyed the bottle before handing it off to Din.

Din took it to his mouth and as his lips brushed the finish of the bottle he couldn't stop thinking that he was savouring Luke as well. Junipera never tasted so good. He swallowed slowly, closing his eyes.

He drew the bottle away from his lips staring pointedly at Luke, dying to cup that cute face with his hands, Luke's cheeks looked pink and inviting for the first time and maybe it was because of the Junipera, but Din fooled himself believing that he was the reason of Luke's blushing.

But Luke started walking away breaking the spell.

"Thank you for the Junipera, Djarin." He gestured towards the door with his hand.

Din frowned opening the door and before he could say anything Luke was already gone, mingling with the people dancing and laughing in Din's apartment until he was out of sight. Din looked for him for a while vainly. He went to every apartment on his floor, searching for him or even Leia, but he finally gave up.

"Are you looking for Leia, man?" Cobb asked him bumping into him in the hallway "I think she left with her brother like an hour ago."

Din's shoulders slumped as he stared at Cobb walking away. He went back to his room locking the door and he let himself drop on the mattress, he huffed staring at the ceiling tucking his arms under the pillow, the music was still very loud, he looked at the bottle on his desk, right where he left it before Luke vanished into thin air, and he was still trying to process his encounter with Luke. He left the bed grabbing the bottle and he leaned against the wall, drinking the Junipera down. He sighed brushing his fingers across his lips still savouring Luke.

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Can we please have a more detailed story about how you got your cat?? I'm intrigued now!! (Also what's their name and could we please have a picture 🥺)

Aah I love that you're intrigued now 🥰

His name is Leo - and I actually just remembered that it's the one year anniversary of when I got him omg!!!!!!

Cause we got him on July 1st last year and my parents were freaking out because it's Canada Day long weekend and all the stores were closed and they were like "where the fuck are we gonna get cat food and a litter box" - and they ended up taking a random storage bin that we had and cutting a notch out of the side so that Leo could step into it because he was so small 😭

So here is a picture of him now vs a picture when we first got him:

He is so big and FAT now 🥰

So the full story is:

We had another cat - we actually had 2 cats at the same time and unfortunately one of them passed away in 2020 and one of them passed in April 2023. And everyone in our house was really mourning because in 3 year span we went from a 2 cat household to an empty mourning 0 cat household and all of us were really upset. So at the time, my sister was dating someone and it was a very unserious relationship. They had been on like 2 or 3 dates, and my sister randomly called me "you have to come outside, you have to come see this"

And my first instinct was that someone was in danger - and so I put on my slippers and ran outside and my sister was holding this little grey kitten. Because her girlfriend had heard that our cat passed away and that we were all sad bitches about it and she just - acquired a cat? I still know incredibly minimal about where Leo came from.

(And don't worry - we have taken great care of him. He has gotten all of his vet visits and shots and he has gotten fixed before turning a year old.)

The only thing I really know about his backstory is that his birthday is May the Fourth - Star Wars day, and his name was Luke Skywalker before we got him. And we named him Leo because at the time we got him I was obsessively watching the Ninja Turtles and I told my sister a good name would be after one of the Turtles. So technically he's named after Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles.

And like I said - he was SOOO tiny and because our other cat passing away really gutted us, we got rid of a lot of his cat items really soon after his passing, so we didn't have any cat bowls, we didn't have a litter box, we didn't have any extra litter - all we had was a few of the old cat toys. And I fully thought that my mom was gonna be like "we have to take him to a shelter because I can't emotionally handle having another cat right now"

But my mom held him in her arms and she was like "oh, he's so small... WE NEED A LITTER BOX" and then she shoved him back in my arms and ran out the door and found one of the only open stores. And she got him litter and kitten food and we had to makeshift a litter box

And the first weeks with him was literally like having an infant baby - because he couldn't be left alone AT ALL. Because he kept trying to eat paper and chew on cords and if someone babysitting him fell asleep he would get mad and lick your face until you woke up - because he thought if you fell asleep you died.

But yeah - he's my boy. He's my baby. I love him to death and I spoil him and I wouldn't have it any other way

[harrowscore]

Your point about the only thing Rey people being interested in was her relationship with Kylo and how that paralleled the Luke/Vader relationship is interesting. It would have added a lot of depth to the story if they'd been twins. Rey goes for the kiss. "No Rey, I'm your brother." lol. Awkward. Insanely awkward.

Hey, sorry but since I ship them and SW has already had enough soap opera-like "i'm your secret twin" last-minute revelations for my tastes I prefer them to be a romantic enemies to lovers pair - something that in SW (at least the movies; the EU was a bit different with Luke/Mara Jade and Revan/Bastila etc.) has never been seen before, so it adds an element of originality in what is basically Poor Man's OT. Same themes as Luke+Vader (love and compassion as a redemptive force) but not make it a family thing, please. That would have been uselessly redudant imo. What I meant with the Luke+Vader parallel is they're a similar brand of "the protagonist shares their most important relationship with an antagonist who turns to the Light thanks to their influence; said dynamic also challenges the main character's naive and black/white beliefs on evil&good, it challenges them to see the world under a different light". Rey didn't need to be a literal Skywalker, Kylo/Ben could have been enough for that as "one half of the protagonist/one side of the coin" - also because he has had to live with that legacy/lovable dysfunctional family for all his life while Rey struggled in a desert and Luke was "a myth" to her. She doesn't even know them; Vader&co. mean nothing to her (that's one of the many reasons the Rey Palpatine revelation feels so hollow - are we even sure she knew what a Palpatine was? lmao). The Vader Is Luke's Father plot works so well because he's the antagonist Luke has been fighting since Film 1, and Luke has been idolizing his dead dad since forever. This forces the kid to grow up - his world shatters, so he has to find a new sort of belief code. Similar to what her relationship with Kylo does (or should do) to Rey, but in a romantic key. Maybe a romance that redeemed the original star-crossed space lovers (Anidala) - this is all about Vader's legacy after all. In fact, it's all about that and how Leia couldn't (understandably) cope with it, and her son getting targeted by Snoke. Anakin's ghost should have definitely made an appearance in TROS and had an overdue talk with his grandson and his daughter but alas, "Palpatine somehow returned" but Anakin can't be bothered about his family I guess lol (that's deeply OOC of him - I'm saying this as a fan of the character).

But I agree with your point about Rey never failing/fucking things up/needing others' help. That's one of the reasons the audience feels like she's never really matured and changed. She needed to face her own demons, not someone else (specifically a man)'s. The angst about her parents abandoning her and treating her like shit should have sufficed: if she's shown her parents were Good People All Along and they were really coming back for her - well, that only reinforces her childish beliefs and never really puts her in the position to challenge them. Same as if Luke's dad had been a good guy, like he dreamed, and not literally Satan's right hand man. That's How To Write Protagonists 101 but I don't think Disneylucas ever cared about creating a somehow coherent story.

[purplemoonfox]

Captain Obvious is Obvious...and Star Wars thoughts overall

So, in mythology, Sköll and Hati are the two wolves that chase the sun and the moon. K cool I love Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati.

Only, when they catch their prey and devour it, that day marks the beginning of Ragnarök, the end of the world of gods and men, buuuuuuut, apparently, after that, the gods and the evil die, and the world is repopulated by two people...and the surviving gods make a new pantheon. Cue a new era ig.

In any case it's not like the Christian Apocalypse; many traditions focus more on cyclical time rather than linear time with an endpoint (Mayans, for example, reaching back to another Apocalypse scare in 2012), and it's become such an assumption in Western society that time and progress HAS an end, and an ultimate goal to which it's building up, that it's pretty much an assumption everyone in it makes. But it's not the only thought on the matter.

The thing I find so interesting about Baylan is that he seems embittered by the past, and thinks that somehow he's going to end the cycle? By starting another war? I mean the New Republic does suck. They're a weird combination of toothless and autocratic. Then again Baylan and Shin are mercenaries...?

Yeah I'm just going to sit here and read TS Eliot's The Wasteland about another "war to end all wars" and wait to see how this goes.

I'm so sad Ray Stevenson passed; he's been absolutely excellent.

On a side note, at this point, I need a dedicated show about the post-Order 66 Jedi that survived. Episode 6 of Ahsoka brought up "Bokken-Jedi," a bokken irl being a wooden practice katana. I beg your pardon, it's enough of a concept that there's an in-universe term for it?

I want to see the Service Corps go into hiding. I want to see networks of survivors being created. I want to see people finding some kind of peace in the galaxy...or not being able to do that. We got a hint of it in Obi-Wan and I'm getting cheated out of it right now.

Look, if Filoni wants to torture us with more Order 66, that's his golden opportunity. Please, Filoni.

But anyway--

General thoughts about this buildup of para-sequel-era shows, like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and the upcoming Skeleton Crew. That don't really build up a goddamn thing, really, with the exception of Ahsoka.

The more it's created, and the more Thrawn and the whole plot of Ahsoka creates a whole conflict (while skirting addressing the issues of the New Republic) the more marginalized the ST actually is. They already felt like a rump mop-up of a larger conflict, or else something that just didn't involve the rest of the galaxy at large, and that was a criticism leveled at it even at the time.

Problem is, while the movies are seen as the crowning purpose of the Star Wars universe, we're moving away from them as being the central focus and I'm not sure that's being very well communicated or very well perceived. And I'm also kind of miffed that we're getting a short Haydennaissance only to be told we're moving away from the Skywalker story.

And it's fine that we're moving away from the Skywalker story (they literally said they would be doing that) and I'm alright with it, but that's not a reason to ignore Luke or Leia's characters when it makes sense to be involved with the overall plan.

Shit man, I'd be up for a somewhat Andor-style show about Leia's activities in the Senate, putting her in a similar position as what Mon Mothma occupies in Andor. The contrast of having Mon Mothma in one role in Andor and in a different one in that show would be a fascinating one. You could catch similarities and differences in the Empire, the New Republic, and even the pre-Imperial Republic; you'd even the perspectives of the people, like Mon Mothma, who lived through all three. It would be a damn good introduction to the political landscape of the sequel trilogies, and add a lot of depth to any attempts to get into sequel-era time periods.

Side note when the fuck is Andor season 2 being released I need more. Top 3 SW shows for me, that one.

Anyway, to sum up, what I think they ought to do is build up a plot line through shows, and use the opening crawls in the movies to bring movie-watchers up to speed, making it possible for them to have sufficient context, kind of like what they're doing with the MCU, but with more explanation. That way you double dip: people watch the shows but casuals are still willing to watch a Star Wars movie in theaters and know they're going to be watchable.

[generalkenobee]

Son Of Vader

• Luke Skywalker AU where he's a sith and decided to join his dad on the dark side

• You're a rebel who got kidnapped and are being integrated by admiral Skywalker

•SMUT, slapping, hair pulling, spit, degrading, force chocking, inappropriate use of the force, name calling, Luke speaks huttesse in this and Idk if thats cannon or not

"I already told you I don't have any plans!" You screamed as loud as you could in his face as If he'd be intimidated by you. "And why would I trust you? Nothing but a filthy rebel" Luke responded keeping his demeanor calm and collected. "You used to be a good person, I don't know what went wrong" you said quietly the subject of him turning to the dark side making your chest hurt and your eyes water. You used to look up to Luke, you wanted to be just like him. Luke spun around holding his hand up while scawling at you. Your throat felt tight as you gasped for air. "Who I used to be is none of your concern, do you understand me?!" Your head nodded so fast it hurt your brain. It was scary to see someone who used to be a Jedi knight, someone who would do anything for others to be acting in such manners

"Luke please, don't do this" you said voice slowly getting louder due to the pain he was inflicting on you through the force. "I have to"

"you really are daddy's little boy huh?"

Your voice was soft when you said it, you were proud of the comment, you thought it was clever. Luke didn't.

Luke's gloved hand struck your cheek causing your head to move to the side. The side of your face pulsed while you looked up at an angry Luke, his hand went up to cup your face making you look at him "you want to say that again little one?"

"y-you're dad-daddy's-" Luke raised his hand again making you stop and flinch in fear. "Apologize" your body was still shaking "I told you to do something schutta" you looked up at him and you were scared, you didn't care how humiliating it would be to have to submit "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said"

this whole situation made your stomach flip, Luke kept getting in your face and cupping it. He walked around you in circles like a shark would, he had a way of making you scared and aroused simultaneously "tell me what I want to know. Now"

"I won't! We could go on like this for days and I won't give you what you want!" "Yeah? But I can give you what you want"

Your stomach sank to your feet "wha-" "I can feel it you know.. your body's reaction to every movement I make" "I don't know what you're talking ab-" "yes you do!" Luke yelled slamming his hands on either side of your strapped down body. "You're going to give me what I want" "Luke- is that you?" He only hummed in reply as you felt the pressure on your lower stomach increase. Your breath slowed as your eyes felt heavy with lust "yeah? I know what you need, you just have to tell me the rebels plans and I'll give you as much as you want baby" you thought he was trying to make you feel welcome and warm so he could get what he wanted but that wasn't all true. For Luke this situation was a win win.

"Hoth! The rebels are hiding on hoth trying to think of different plans and new strategies!" Your mouth blurted it out before you could stop yourself "oh is that so?"

"you want me to take you back to my quarters and take care of you? Yeah?" your whole body felt limp and like you were on fire. You felt like if you didn't get a cock inside you soon you would die

When you got to Luke's quarters it was clean with a nicely made bed with black sheets and white pillows "now.." Luke broke the silence "strip" "yes admiral Skywalker" you slowly took your clothes off while Luke mirrored what you were doing. Once finally naked and on the bed the admiral took a finger and slowly glided it over your hole and up your clit. Luke suddenly pushed a finger in pumping in and out of you "Luke!" You were surprised at first but melted into the pleasure.

After a while of finger fucking and once you were nice and wet he added another finger but only this time there was a switch to things. "Luke what- what's that?" Luke had his eyes closed while he focused on pumping you and using the force to rub slow sensual circles on your neglected clit. "Mm you know just what to do..you get that from your dad too?" The circles on your clit increased in speed, your whole body quivered, your head was spinning and you were in such a state of bliss you couldn't think straight. The thought of what was happening made you wetter, Luke was an admiral for the empire and you were a rebel. You both stood for complete different causes and you were still here falling apart from just his fingers.

"Aughh! Baby I- you're gonna make me cum!"

"aw yeah? You know this is pretty bad, a rebel is gonna have an orgasm on the death star?" Luke's blonde hair brushed over your forehead. In a strange way it made you feel comfortable. Every touch reminded you that he was real, that he was here with you in this euphoric moment.

THANK YOU FOR READING SORRY IF ITS BAD I FELT LIKE I NEEDED MORE CONTENT OUT THOUGH also....part 2? 💖💖