#was thinking about anakin not turning and them having a little reunion hug

[ahhrenata]

a quick sketch to start the day :)

[cookybananas]

This Wasn't The Plan (Former!Anakin Skywalker x Reader)

Angsty. Spoiler alert: main character dies

summary: When an old friend reaches out to you asking for help, but the mission doesn't go as planned.

This is set 9 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Your former lover, Anakin Skywalker, has turned to the dark side and had become a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Vader. But you don't know that. You believed in Obi-Wan's lie that Anakin had died on Mustafar and that the Republic had fallen into the hands of the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious who had created the Empire. The hunt for surviving Jedi ensues. This forces you and Obi-Wan to go your separate ways and into hiding to protect yourselves from the inquisitors who are on the hunt for the both of you.

I packed some rations in my bag, the last thing I needed before heading out. I looked at my lightsaber that was on my bed, deciding if I should bring it or not. After putting some thought to it, I sigh to myself, clipping it to the belt of my old Jedi robe I was currently wearing. I set out to meet up with Obi Wan at the coordinates he had sent me. It had been 9 years since I had seen my good friend. I didn't think he would ever contact me again, especially through the force. But apparently this was an urgent matter.

Obi-Wan told me there wasn't much information given to him when he reached out to me. Apparently he had gotten a holographic message from an unknown individual, saying that there were some former Jedis needing our help on the planet of Kashyyyk. I was hesitant at first about the mission, but he convinced me to come along with him. Plus, it's not like I had anything better to do with my life. I was a scavenger, I tore apart ships and weapons from the Empire and resold the parts to make a living off of them. I didn't earn much, but it was enough to keep me alive.

The Jedi had fallen years ago from Order 66. My masters, my fellow Jedi who I had trained with, the younglings whom I taught, most of them didn't make it from the purge--they were all killed. Anakin, the love of my life was killed right before the Empire had rose to power, I lost my best friend; Padme. Obi-Wan and I had gone our separate ways and went into hiding. Just when we thought everything was going well at the time, that glory had dissolved as if it were nothing.

There have been many times I had cried myself to sleep at the thought of losing Anakin. Part of me still believes that he's alive somewhere in the star system and part of me wants to believe what Obi-Wan has told me; that Anakin is truly dead and that I need to move on to live for myself. As much as I wanted to reach out through the force to him, I couldn't. I was worried that an inquisitor was nearby and could sense me. Or worse, the belligerent Darth Vader who has been in a pursuit of killing Jedi since they had they had fallen. I had to close myself off the force many years ago. Now that Obi-Wan needs me, this puts the both of us at risk of falling into the hands of the Empire and Darth Vader.

-

"It's good to see you again my old friend." Obi-Wan said, embracing me into a tight hug, to which I happily returned. Obi-Wan aged quite a bit the last time I saw him. The wrinkles around his eyes were prominent now, his beard grown out and untamed.

"And you as well Obi. Maker...it's been so long." I said, getting a little teary-eyed at our little reunion. Obi-Wan looked at me with sad eyes, nodding in agreement.

"Well, we have a long way to Kashyyyk, that should give us time to catch up Y/N." He gave me a small smile, as we made our way into his small ship, setting course to Kashyyyk to help our Jedi brothers and sisters.

"Do you have a plan?" I spoke up, breaking the long period of silence between us. Obi-Wan scoffed at my question.

"Well of course I do Y/N, you didn't think I would go in blindly would you?" He replied, smiling to himself. I snorted at his response, reminding me the many memories I have of him, Anakin, and I back in the days of the Clone Wars. Anakin and I were the ones that would go guns-blazing in during missions. Obi-Wan would always be the person coming up with the plans beforehand, to which sometimes Anakin and I did follow, sometimes.

Obi-Wan runs over the plan with me. The coordinates that he was provided had given us a location at a base in the lush forests of Kashyyyk. Apparently that's where the Jedi are said to be located. Once we land, we would split up to find any remaining Jedi and relocate them back to Alderaan. Obi-Wan had been in touch with Bail Organa since the fall of the Republic and had informed him about this mission.

The ship lands on an empty landing pad that was located outside the entrance of what looked like an abandoned temple. Obi-Wan and I exit out the ship, taking a look around our surroundings.

"I've got a bad feeling about this" I spoke up, scanning the environment.

"Meet me back here in an hour. If you can find any Jedi, we'll relocate them to Alderaan." Obi-Wan said.

"Sounds good to me." I responded. We both make our way into the temple, going separate ways once we enter.

-

The Sith Lord stands tall as he gazes at the stars through the windows of the ship. He ponders to himself, when all of sudden he felt something in the force. Assuming that the presence was belonging to his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vader smiles to himself for being able to finally have Obi-Wan walk into his trap after what he had done to him all those years ago. But then he felt the pull become stronger and stronger by the moment. No... it can't be, the Sith Lord thinks to himself. It couldn't possibly be her. Y/N... You died 9 years ago. The remnants of your ship were in pieces when he had searched for you. You couldn't have survived the impact at the state of ship he found it in. When Anakin--Vader, had found the japor snippet that he had given you was on the ground, it pushed him further to believe that you had died on impact. He believed your clones got to you when Order 66 occurred. He blamed himself for causing your death. You deserved a better fate. But at the same time, he didn't want you to see what he had become.

Vader pushed his thoughts to the side. Still believing that you had died all those years ago.

-

A good amount of time had passed. I wasn't sure how long it had been but it surely has been over an hour. I hadn't seen any Jedi yet, yet alone any traces of any Jedi being here. Something isn't right, I know it isn't because the force has been trying to tell me something since we landed.

I felt another presence in the force. It didn't feel like it was Obi-Wan. I froze in place, hearing footsteps in the distance; becoming closer and closer to me. I turn around, igniting my lightsaber as I was met with an inquisitor standing behind me with their double-bladed lightsaber already ignited.

"Well, well, you're not definitely Kenobi. But I'll gladly take you in as well." The inquisitor said, stepping closer to me as I took a step back. I wasn't fit to fight them. It had been years since I last fought with my lightsaber. Without thinking, I immediately turned around and ran away from the inquisitor. I took out my comlink to get a hold of Obi-Wan as I ran to find the exit.

"OBI-WAN, IT'S A TRAP!!" I yelled into the comlink, but I was met with static in response. The connection wasn't strong, perhaps the inquisitors had intercepted our communication or the connection on Kashyyyk just wasn't as good.

I found myself in what looked like an abandoned throne room. I hid myself behind the throne, trying to catch my breath as I tried to disconnect my force signature so the inquisitor wouldn't find me as easily. I cursed myself for agreeing to come along with Obi-Wan on this fallacious mission.

As the footsteps of the inquisitor drew nearer and nearer to the room. I overheard the inquisitor's voice, as if they were talking to someone else. I peaked my head over the throne to see the inquisitor in the doorway talking to a holographic figure on their wrist.

"Lord Vader, it's important that you know that not only one Jedi has fallen into your trap but two." The inquisitor said boastfully, holding up a hologram of Lord Vader.

"Very well inquisitor. Locate them now. I will deal with Kenobi and his friend accordingly. I want them alive." Lord Vader's mechanical voice booming through the hologram.

"Yes my lord." The inquisitor turns off the hologram, scoffing to themselves and kicking a pebble off the ground. "Why do they matter to you this much?" the inquisitor says under his mouth.

I held my breath, hoping that the inquisitor doesn't walk into the room I'm in. When I don't see them in the door way I make a run towards the door, only to be stopped by the inquisitor.

"Nice try, but I have orders to follow Jedi scum." the inquisitor spat at me, blocking the doorway. I furrow my eyebrows, igniting my lightsaber again.

"You won't take me alive."

"I wish I didn't have to, but I have orders from Lord Vader himself." the inquisitors says before swinging their double-bladed lightsaber. Our lightsabers clashing with one another. I try catching my breath as I fight the inquisitor, but the 9 years without fighting, has made me lose some abilities in my Jedi skills.

"I see the years have not been kind to you. You're out of shape grandma." the inquisitor comments. I grunt in response and roundhouse kick the inquisitor, sending them flying across the room. The inquisitor gets back on their feet again and darts towards me.

Just when I think I can take them down, the inquisitor's blade makes contact with my shoulder. I cry out in pain as I'm thrown off balance. I step back, grasping my shoulder that was just cut. The cut was bright red and burning.

The inquisitor laughs at my pathetic state. Determined to take down this inquisitor, I run towards them with my saber. I was able to dodge their first swing, but on the second swing, the inquisitor's blade had found itself impaled through my stomach. I let out a gasp. The inquisitor looking surprised at themselves at what they did.

The inquisitor draws their blade back. My saber falls out of my hand and rolls away from me as my body hits the ground. I clutch the part of my stomach where I had been just stabbed.

I try to control my breathing as I watched as the inquisitor walk out the room without saying a word to me. The building starts rumbling, as if it was starting to crumble down.

Then next thing I know, I see Obi-Wan running into the room, running up to me.

"Y/N!" Obi-Wan kneels down and cradles me in his arms. He brushes a strand a hair away from my face, his hand now holding one of my hands.

"Y/N stay with me now. I'm gonna get you out of here." Obi-Wan looks at me and looks down at my wound. His eyes were filled with panic with the hole inside my stomach.

"O-Obi Wan, you have to go." I said weakly, looking at him.

"I won't leave you here Y/N." He responded, squeezing my hand and body tightly.

"Y-you'll die here." I said as the building starts to crumble piece by piece. Pieces of stone and debris falling from the ceiling.

"Don't say such nonsense, we have to go" He pleaded.

"Obi-Wan...My place is here.. and... he's here...I can sense him." I breathe out. The hole in my stomach making it harder for me to breathe.

Obi-Wan's eyes widen. He knew he was here as well. Obi-Wan was about to lift me off the ground until I spoke up.

"Leave me here Obi-Wan...Get out of here...S-save..your..self" I huffed out my last breath.

-

Your body goes limp in the arms of Obi-Wan. The last thing you saw was a dark figure, watching from the doorway before your body succumbed to your injury. Vader... You whispered under your final breath before dying in the arms of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan lets out a strangled cry. He closes your eyelids as the feeling of guilt creeps up on him. But the mourning over his good friend was short-lived. Obi-Wan freezes in place as he feels Vader's presence nearby. When he looked up, he saw the Sith Lord standing by the doorway, menacingly. Obi-Wan, lays your body down on the cold stone floor, now towering over your body to square up with the Sith Lord.

Vader who had been watching the entire situation unravel, his breathing became heavier as he starts to hyperventilate. Causing the temple to shake even more, pieces of the temple fell down around them. He had felt you, he felt your pain. Your first cry was enough to have the Sith Lord come and look for you, but your second cry was enough for him to feel the amount pain you were in.

"What have you done?!" Vader's mechanical voice barked, echoing through the room.

"This was your doing Anakin!" His former master retorted. Vader slowly makes his way over to him, striding menacingly to where Obi-Wan and your lifeless body was.

Obi-Wan backs up away from Vader. Vader kneels next your body and touches the nape of your neck to find a pulse to confirm that you weren't dead, but it was too late. He clenched his fist and lets out a booming cry. Obi-Wan couldn't see it, but he was crying under the mask. The building continue to shake more under his agony.

"Leave. Now." He said, glancing back up at his former master. Obi-Wan was hesitant at first, but soon nodded in response and made his way out of the crumbling building towards his ship.

Vader scooped up your body and carried you bridal style out of the building, making sure to give you a proper burial once he landed on a planet worthy of your funeral. As he makes his way out, he and Obi Wan look at each other one last time before Obi-Wan takes off in his ship.

Vader boards his ship, laying your body down on the table. He takes off his helmet, revealing his long blonde locks and handsome face that were still in pristine condition. He examines your face for sometime. Forgetting how beautiful you were. The years have not been kind to you. He noticed how your cheekbones are more prominent now, perhaps due to lack of food and having to remain in hiding. He brushed your hair with his gloved hand and started whispering all the things he wanted to tell you. He wanted to start a family with you after the war was over, but it is far too late for that now. He wanted to raise his family on Naboo, or Alderaan. The life he dreamt with you, had diminished the day he founds the remains of your ship.

He started to feel guilty for being the reason of causing you a great deal of suffering and now, he was now the reason for your death. He sat next to your body and had held your left hand that still bore the wedding ring he made for you. You both had gotten secretly married on Naboo, just right after the Clone Wars had begun.

After a good amount of time had passed, Anakin--Vader had eventually gotten up from his seat and took off his cape to cover your body with it.

This wasn't how the mission was supposed to go. He didn't expect you to be here, let alone be alive. All he wanted was his revenge on Kenobi, but little did he know that you would be caught in the middle of it.

The guilt that Obi-Wan had felt was unbearable at first. He wished he didn't rope you into this mission. He didn't think for one second that this could have been a trap for himself and for the both of you. Obi-Wan lives out his days with a heavy heart for being the reason you died.

Vader spends the next several years alone, wondering about the day he will kick the bucket. It isn't until one day, a new hope emerges and relieves from him the dark side. Where he would redeem himself and be reunited with you as your force ghost had waited a long time for him to join you in the afterlife. Together, you both spend an eternity together without having to suffer ever again.

[infernaleikon]

1/2 Hugs are underrated in the obikin fandom imo! Have you considered how many times during the clone wars there were close calls; where either obi-wan or anakin feared the other had been seriously hurt or didn't make it; or even just scenarios where they hadn't seen each other in a while and had been through some tough shit in the interim? Can you imagine the reunion hug? The desperation? The joy? The sheer RELIEF!!! That brief moment where they couldn't hide how they felt/how important the

2/2 other was to them? Them just colliding together and holding on tight? Also anakin is 100% the kind of hugger where he grabs you and spins you around and i won't accept that he hasn't done that to obi-wan at LEAST once.

mmmmhhhmmmm you are so right!!

i can imagine that their hugs get longer each time. like, at first they're just sort of cursory pat downs to check for external injuries, then a little awkward half hugs where theyre both unsure; anakin makes aborted motions and quickly course corrects and jerks away cos he thinks obi-wan wouldn't like the prolonged contact and doesn't wanna get rejected, while obi-wan thinks he's overstepping anakins boundaries by holding on to him or thinks anakin might assume he'd take it as belittling or suffocating. and then over time the hugs turn into actual hugs. the first real one is rushed and crushing and very brief cos they both remember their fears about the other so they quickly let go. but then the hugs get longer and longer because holding each other, feeling each other's body heat, heartbeats pressed into each other's chests, hands fisting into each other's clothes, trembling and breathing shakily, the pressure of pushing close feels grounding and real, and they're alive and together and that's all that matters. for as long as they hold each other, they can pretend that everything is okay, that they're fine and not fighting in a war that chips away at them endlessly.

one time, they see each other again after months and anakin is worn thin and strung real high and obi-wan is there but he's not rushing towards him, anakin isn't greeted by his hug and it's the worst. he thinks obi-wan doesn't want to hold him anymore, so he stalks to his room dejectedly and he's restless and anxious and his skin is crawling when obi-wan catches up with him asking if he's okay. anakin snaps at him, angry and frustrated and embarrassed, and obi-wan backs away thinking anakin doesn't want his comfort and he's not gonna force it on him, so he starts to walk away again. except anakin thinks that's even worse, so he just grabs obi-wan and crushes them together. he almost sobs when obi-wan wraps him up in his arms right away, squeezing tight tight tight, and buries his face in obi-wans neck. and they just stand like that in the middle of the hallway, so entwined with each other that they're almost impossible to tell apart, and everyone knows not to talk to the generals for a while.

hugging becomes a meeting ritual for them, the first thing they do when they meet each other again. anakin runs to find and hug obi-wan, obi-wan will delay debriefs and other tasks to see and hug anakin, make sure he's okay, get an armful of his former padawan and feel his solid form.

after an especially gruelling time apart when they've both been in horrid campaigns in which each of them had a few close calls, they collide like magnets, hands flying over each other's bodies to ensure there aren't any obvious hurts until they're pulling each other close and closer, and when the hugs turns into a kiss, it feels like the natural, right next step.

rex and cody instruct everyone not to message the generals until at least the next morning.

[mommymothma]

Dave who gave you permission to tug on my heart strings like that?

Here is like the most concise version of my thoughts I am capable of generating 5 minutes after the finally

1. Ezra ahsoka and Sabine are the knee father son and holy spirit I love them and would die for them

2. Sabine's helmet just auto generating into the world was awesome. It means ahsoka picked it up and brought it for her queen behaviour

3. I appreciate that they mention Kanan by name this live action shows sometimes have a habit of just not mentioning important animated characters (like how Satine wasn't mentioned once in the mandalorian)

4. Sabine's family being wiped out on mandalore... I don't know why it took me so long to piece that together that yeah... they probably died. I guess I assumed people kind of just left after the siege but it was intact then and.... can't tall forever moving on

5. It was a violation for that trooper to just pluck Sabine's helmet off her head like that. A disgrace to the way. I'm a little shocked her helmet doesn't seal? I thought most of them did but what do I know

6. Yaya new kanan inspired lightsaber for Ezra just dropped.

7. Force sensitive Sabine. I have mixed thoughts on this but it was awfully convienient

8. I would love if Ahsoka just dual wielded one lightsaber and then Morgan's sword I think it was such a badass as thing for them to do a real win for the gays

9. Ahsoka being afraid of being left alone to die... just think about how many times that thought has crossed her mind. ESPECIALLY with the "all your friends are dead" line.

10. Baylan you SOB. Get your ass back here and stop cosplaying force daddy. Shin needs you. Also, highly sus by the way. But could be cool if it ever leads to a baylan, ahsoka and whoever the "son" will be trio eventually.

11. Manifesting the purrgils return to come save our girlie pops. Really thought that's what the hole in the sky was for.

12. I see u. I see u Dave with the whole "shadows in the stars" thing. I see anakin. And as much as I love the idea of him watching over ahsoka, I also don't like it because he's probably teaching her to be a force ghost which sets her up to die i am weary

13. Ezra not taking off the stormtroopers costume before dropping in on a republic ship is the most Ezra thing ever what a mad lad. Also, go hug your mom bro

14. I don't like them being left behind. But there is something to be said about the possibility of wolfwren now

15. Ahsoka fearing Sabine would turn to the darkside because she experienced loss is such a real reaction for her. She's seen what loss can do to a person

16. Um what was that cargo? Were those bodies in caskets. Clones? Dathomir stuff? I'm not sure but I don't like it

17. They better find their way home in the first episode of season 2 I need this rebels reunion ASAP stop holding out on me filoni

[wickedscribbles]

Come What May, Chapter Three

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the support! It means a lot. <3 

Masterlist

Pairing: Obi-Wan Kenobi x Original Female Character (Second Person Perspective)

Rating: Explicit

Tags: fluff, teasing, being in a relationship with Obi-Wan means witty banter, spoil Obi-Wan damn it the man is TIRED, fantasizing in places you shouldn’t, Obi-Wan being a bit of a tease, Jedi are touch-starved, loss of virginity (for both parties), cock riding

Word Count: 6.3 K

You're sure that all this sneaking around isn't part of the Code, either. But in the middle of a war, you and Obi-Wan take what you can get. With one or both of you needed off-planet more and more often, even being back at the Temple to sneak around with one another is welcome. Disputes between Republic and Separatist planets are only getting more tense. As Jedi, you both have your duties. Obi-Wan as a General, and you as a healer.

Life is busy, sometimes overwhelming and scary. Whether you’re on the front line, holding the hand of a soldier, or home on Coruscant tending to Jedi and low-level civilians. The thing that keeps your gut from gnawing itself to pieces with worry for Obi-Wan is your comm blinking with his encrypted message. One word; safe. He never forgets. Though you can’t feel through your bond off-planet, you can at least relax enough to sleep before typing your own reply. Safe. No matter where you are, he insists on knowing the same is true on your end.

So when you feel a flicker of him among the hundreds of other souls coming in and out of the Temple, you don’t hesitate to reach out in excitement. Obi-Wan hadn’t said when he’d arrive the last time you were able to speak, just that he would be back at the Temple soon. Forgetting yourself, you push out for his own life Force, a wordless wave of happiness. The colicky baby you’re comforting in the creche feels it too, going from the brink of a tantrum to a wide-eyed smile.

!!!!

Hello there, he says, answering with his own push of delight that you’ve found him, that you’re home too. Underneath it runs a silent warning in the form of his usual anxiety. However happy you both are, you must be quieter. You tell him you understand, duck your head though he’s not there in the room to admonish you.

Obi-Wan’s nerves fade, replaced by the usual rush of curiosity that bubbles up from both of you after an absence. There will be dozens of questions, when you're together to talk. It’s difficult to have a real conversation through the commlink without raising suspicion, so reunions are full of stories. For now, though, you ask only one.

Where are you?

Come and see, he says mysteriously. You can almost see the grin on his face. You roll your eyes at the unnecessary antics, but can’t bite back a smile. Negotiations must have gone well for him to be teasing you.

The baby fusses again in your arms, and you stroke his head to soothe him. “I know, Myn. We’ll get you to bed, then see where Master Kenobi is hiding. Now, let's help you feel better.”

----

He's not where you expect him to be.

After an unsuccessful visit to each of his favorite spots, you find the scoundrel sitting in the main refectory. In a room meant for hundreds, only around a dozen mill about or eat at this hour. Each long table has an average of only one or two occupants, and most of the holodisplays are buzzing on standby. Droids roll around, mopping tables and cleaning spills. The transparisteel windows are open, letting in a nice evening breeze. Obi-Wan is one of the few, looking out of place in armor. He must have really just gotten home, then.

Your breath catches to even recognize the back of his head. Between your conflicting schedules, a month has passed since you've seen him. Gods, you wish you could run over. Wish you could beam at him, in this public space, wrap him up and breathe him in. He'd smell a little strange, blaster fire and recycled air and foreign planets. But under it all, undeniably Obi-Wan. Jedi Master, War General, and secret giver of the best hugs.

Not just hugs, you sigh to yourself, thinking of the last time he was home. Every step you force yourself to walk over to him only makes the memory that much clearer. As inexperienced as the both of you'd started, Master Obi-Wan was proving to be an attentive and voracious partner. Seeming as eager to please as he was to learn, you never left disappointed. After his initial reluctance for intimacy, you'd watched him shyly blossom under the attention you gave him.

In return, your accidental Force bond positively shines, and being connected to another living being this way is an experience you wouldn't trade for anything -- sexual encounters or not. You find yourself similar to him in ways that surprise and delight you -- and your differences aren’t so monumental. After all, the most tender parts of your minds, your souls, are often laid bare for one another. Though you've only been together for a few months, and even then for a few stolen moments, you feel comfortable with him, and he with you. Any concerns or discomforts are hard or impossible to hide. In this way, the bond often forces honesty.

It doesn’t surprise you that Obi-Wan isn’t alone at his table. Seen as something of a celebrity among the younglings and Padawans, they tend to swarm him when they get an opportunity. He’s ever-patient about it, always managing to find time for them, which you find unbearably sweet. Sitting with him now is a familiar group of young Padawans. They seem intent on asking questions how to improve their saber technique at every turn, though they’ve only just built their own weapons.

Children their age aren’t exactly your specialty. It always makes your stomach roil with nerves when you think that soon you must take your own Padawan. But even you have to admit that they’re sweet, all nerf-tails and braids and wide eyes. They hang onto Master Kenobi’s every word. A check of your bond reveals that he’s in full lecture mode, and isn’t even aware that you’re behind him. He’s busy making sure that the way he explains the difference in lightsaber forms is easy for them to understand, while still being comprehensive.

It’s almost a shame when Master Windu locates his Padawan, the ringleader, and scolds the group away for bothering Obi-Wan when he’s trying to enjoy a late dinner. You were enjoying the explanation of the differences between Juyo and Vaapad. Though the topic was a little advanced for the group, Master Obi-Wan rarely turns away an honest question.

"Did you do that just to make me walk around the entire Temple?" you say after they’ve cleared out. "I checked the gardens, the library, the Fountain Room, the docking bay…"

Obi-Wan lights up when he hears you, turning with an easy smile that morphs into a look of mischief. This time he's the one to reach out through the bond, and you accept it as willingly as a full embrace. You take the seat across from him, keeping your body language casual though you can’t help beaming. Obi-Wan looks just as pleased -- arms crossed on the table though his Force tells you he’d love to take your hand. You know he’s right to worry; you can’t take bold chances. Everyone must be fooled into thinking that what’s developed between you is a friendship, and nothing more, if you’re to get away with this.

"I wasn't hiding. I really did come straight here. You've had what they serve on the clone ships." A wrinkle of displeasure travels mutually between you. Food served in the Temple couldn't exactly be called the height of luxury, but what they served the troops was downright flavorless. You've never heard a clone complain about it, bless them. In front of him sits an empty bowl and a half-finished cup of what has to be tea.

"Fine. I guess I'll forgive you." The look you give him is a little too cheeky, but no one's watching.

"Oh, a thousand thanks," he replies, every bit as taunting. He places his chin in his hand and smirks, looking far too cute in far too public of a setting. Maker, he’s starting to figure it out, isn’t he? The effect he has on you. He’s dangerous in many ways, but this might be the most threatening he’s ever been.

“Got you something,” you announce, changing the subject. You hope he doesn’t notice the deep breath you have to take to steady yourself. Before he can protest -- because you know without looking up that Obi-Wan will protest -- you untie a pouch from your belt.

Sure enough, he’s got the look. Normally reserved for Anakin, it’s all disapproval and scrunched brows. And of course, it’s still attractive. How does Anakin get anything done? Anakin doesn’t have the kind of daydreams you do. At least, he probably doesn’t.

“I thought we’d discussed this. It isn’t wise to --”

“Master,” you interrupt, unwrapping the package. The fancy paper crinkles under your fingers, and you're trying not to make a lot of noise. “I’m pretty sure that this won’t blow our cover.”

“Well, I still don’t --”

You peel back the plastic sleeve on the package, revealing half a dozen cookies. They’re an off-planet delicacy you’d discovered in a little tea shop in the mid-levels, each about as big around as your pinky finger is long. Each is a different flavor, with some sort of icing sandwiched between two halves of the confection. All you know for sure is that the sample you’d been coaxed into trying had melted like butter on your tongue. You were handing over credits before the Twi’lek behind the counter had to persuade you any further.

“ -- oh!” His reproach melts away in seconds. “You’ve brought biscuits. I - I suppose that’s fine.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” you tease, pulling one out and handing it to him. It looks like your hunch to bring this gift is right on the money; you’ve seen how keen he is to get to the refectory on the nights they serve desserts. A part of you -- a very un-Jedi part -- had been thinking of him. Had wanted to get him something, something that would sit on the desk in your room until he returned, something small enough that he wouldn't fuss over it. You'd wanted to spoil him in the tiniest of ways, knowing how hard he drives himself.

Obi-Wan takes it with barely disguised delight. You watch him bite into it, amused, thinking of all the times he and the other Masters have lectured you on the ways of a Jedi. Something about conquering curiosity would have been said, had the positions been flipped. “Do you like it?”

He nods happily, licking a crumb from the corner of his mouth. "'S good."

You try not to focus on the pink tip of his tongue, how quickly it slips over his lip and then disappears again. That tongue had been your undoing, when it had last touched your body. Stop thinking about that here!

His eyes dart down to the package, and you know he wants another one.

"Take one, I got them for you." You pry another loose, offering it easily. It makes you happy to see him let himself want something -- and to know that you can give it to him. The Code has its purposes, sure. But sometimes it's nice to detach from grace and serenity, and just...enjoy.

As long as you aren't devastating your own way of life, razing it to the ground as former Jedi-turned-Sith have done, you see no harm in feeding Obi-Wan Kenobi a cookie. Or doing other things with him, far from prying eyes.

He doesn't seem to see it as a capital offense either, and lets you feed him the second one with a happy hum. His eyes flutter closed for a moment as he savors the taste, far sweeter than anything they serve here in the refectory. When he finishes this one, a blue crumb sticks to his bottom lip.

"Master."

"Mm?" He tilts his head ever so slightly, blue crumb not budging.

"You've got something."

"Got -- got what?"

"On your face," you struggle to keep your tone even, hold in a laugh. He looks -- he looks silly. One eyebrow quirked, no idea what you're talking about though it should be obvious. Master Obi-Wan, cookie crumbs on his face, looking at you like you're the one two screws short of a saber hilt.

Predictably, when he puts a hand to his mouth to brush it away, he's nowhere near the actual crumb. This goes on for several frustrating seconds, until you finally look to see if anyone's watching and brush it away yourself. Your thumb lingers on his bottom lip.

"Gosh. You were a parsec away," you chuckle, savoring the memory of his very real confusion.

But something in his gaze has shifted. Obi-Wan looks right at you, your thumb still light on his bottom lip, and licks a slow stripe over the pad of it.

The bond, so carefully shielded after you greeted one another, breaks open like a crust. Desire builds on his end, warmth that soon becomes an unbearable heat. It feels like it's flooding you, a steady stream in your chest, your limbs, your feet. You spare a thought to sift through the Force for the others in the room, too captivated with what’s in front of you to look. No one feels shocked or surprised or even interested in you.

Parting his lips further, Obi-Wan takes your thumb into his mouth and sucks, only for a moment, but you shudder. This is so damn bold of him, this tiny thing, but it sends you spiraling.

Sometimes you don't make it easy to think clearly.

You pull your hand away, hearing him speak in your mind. Everything he's not saying, out loud or through the bond, swirls between you. How he's been aching for you since you realized he'd arrived back at the Temple. How hard it's been to hold back from doing all the things that you want to do, as soon as you laid eyes on one another. How he wants you, now.

"My room or yours?" you murmur.

"Mine." He answers, barely above a whisper. Though you know it's more logical to go there -- the Master's quarters are always less occupied -- a little thrill always runs through you. You watch his hands clench and unclench on the table, considering something.

"Wait an hour before you join me," he adds.

An hour? you whine.

Far less suspicious this way, he answers, though you can feel his returning tug of desire, of impatience.

"What do you say if you're found outside my quarters?"

"I'm watering Master Kenobi's plants while he's away," you recite. Not a lie in the slightest; you kept the growing collection in excellent health. And it gave you a reason to be in his room every few days, whether he was actually on-planet or not. Watering the plants...taking in the smell of Obi-Wan that still clung to the bedsheets and robes, leaving your own scent.

"Good girl," he says. Again, your mind darts to the last time he'd praised you that way -- where his mouth had been. Immediately, he seems to remember too; color floods his cheeks and he’s suddenly very interested in the tabletop.

You brighten at the words, even as he blushes to say it so publicly. Like he hadn't just been suckling your finger. Not exactly what a Master would say to a Padawan -- and you haven't been a Padawan in years. His blue eyes burn into yours with a hunger, and you feel one last little touch through the bond before he gets up from the table. He doesn’t look back.

Lingering a little longer, you head to the Fountain Room with a long sigh. Meditating away your arousal is not going to be easy.

The hour passes in uncomfortable slowness. You haven't been this unfocused in meditation since you were a youngling, but you're squirming for a different reason. It takes almost forty minutes for the roar of the fountains to lull you to relaxation, and once you realize that the hour has almost passed, you slip and have to start all over. Even Obi-Wan would scold you for the way you shift and fidget, the living Force all around you but your mind too disconnected to reach out.

So you resort to pretending. You remain in a meditative stance, but simply count in your head instead. It’s a Padawan trick, and part of you feels guilty, even though there’s no one around to watch. You almost expect Master Rancisis to slither up behind you, insisting that he was not angry, only disappointed.

When the hour finally trickles to an end, you get to your feet. It takes a fair amount of restraint not to break into a jog when you reach the end of the Temple where Knights and Masters live. Muscle memory takes you easily to the door of Obi-Wan’s room, though it’s identical to the others around it.

Knock knock, you say, bouncing on the balls of your feet outside the door. In response, the lock clicks open. You slide inside and close the door in one motion, locking it again behind you.

Obi-Wan’s room is structured much like every other Jedi’s quarters. It looks quite like your own. Each sports the same bed, wallpaper, desk. The differences are its inhabitant, and the rank of Master.

While your room is boxy, not leaving much space to move, Obi-Wan’s can easily be walked around in. Potted plants adorn the small windowsill, beginning to crowd it. He’s been able to get more since you started watering them. The short bookshelf next to the bed has watermarks on the end from how many times he’s placed a teacup there. In the corner, he even has an attached fresher -- the source of much envy when you first found out.

But all this would feel empty without Obi-Wan sitting cross-legged on the bed, out of his armor and looking freshly showered. His boots are tucked neatly at the foot of the bed, so he sits in his sock feet. An unguarded, toothy grin lights up his face as he lifts his arms for a hug. The bond slams together two seconds before you get there, mingling and tasting and feeling each other’s life Force without restraint. You embrace him tightly, burying your own smile in his neck as the two of you fall back on the mattress.

Missed you, you say, pressing a kiss to his jaw. It makes him squeeze you tighter, his sigh moving a few strands of your hair.

Your life Force is a little too jumbled right now, overwhelmed with his closeness, both in your mind and in your arms. Images roll from you in ways you don’t really mean to send them. Obi-Wan, head ducked between your legs, the last time he was home. Your own hands, plucking dead leaves from one of the plants on the sill. Bending over a clone trooper, gently encouraging his wound to close with the Force. The lowest, most-poverty stricken levels of Coruscant. Setting up a clinic tent there with a few other healers when you’re not occupied with other war efforts. A little girl squealing in excitement when she realized she got a sweet for being good during her treatment.

In return, Obi-Wan shows you his own line of thought, and where he’s been. The way your lip wobbled when he’d looked up from eating you out, pupils huge and eyes pleading. How that image had been enough to make him spill in his hand in one of the Resolute’s freshers, a week later. The sweaty-humid jungles of Felucia, the heat making his tunics stick to his skin. Anakin singing some shanty with the 501st on the ride home, in high spirits. Commander Cody shaking his head when his own boys started in, making the lyrics even dirtier. (Obi-Wan had held Ahsoka’s lekku tight so she didn’t hear anything after that.) How good you smell to him now, all vanilla and grass after a thunderstorm and something he can never identify.

“I’m willing to bet,” he says, shifting you both so that you lie side by side, “that I missed you far more.”

“Master,” you say innocently. “It’s not a competition.” You slide your thigh between his legs, pleased at how readily he allows it, how he draws you closer. His cock presses against you, almost fully hard. The pressure elicits a small gasp from him, and a smirk from you.

Obi-Wan thinks on your remark for a moment. “No,” he admits. “But there may be a struggle.”

And with that, he claims your mouth with his own. He feels so warm, so safe. Calloused fingers slide up to caress your face, and you melt even more.

Though both of you are wound tight with anticipation, his kisses drag slow over your lips, sweet and lingering. You let him lead, a little dazed when one of his hands starts trailing absently up and down your side. He tastes like the cookies you fed him. The dominant note of sugar overcomes the usual flavor of Obi-Wan that you're used to, though it's hard to complain.

You curl yourself closer, tighter into his chest, wanting as much contact as possible. Being with Obi-Wan makes you feel vulnerable in a way you never get to be otherwise. There's a part of you that wants to be tended to. Maybe it comes from being raised among dozens of other children in the creche, with no minder giving you specific care or attention beyond what was required. A lesson before the lesson, that Jedi were not supposed to form attachments this way. It's too late for you now -- no matter what you'd promised Obi-Wan, you are very much attached.

"Your thoughts betray you, dear one," Obi-Wan murmurs in the shell of your ear. You can hear his smile through the gentle scolding. Like he isn't just as fond of you.

"And your body betrays you," you shoot back, rubbing your thigh against his dick once more. It jerks at the attention, always eager to make itself known when you're involved.

He laughs a little at that, the sound low and conceding. "So it does."

"What will we do about it?" you ask. You lean in and place a string of kisses down his throat, teasing the sensitive place right below his ear. His shaky inhale and flash of excitement through the bond tell you all you need to know about how it affects him.

“Anything,” says Obi-Wan. "Anything you want." You hear him swallow, trying to keep it together. Collecting himself, using the patience that comes with the training of a Jedi Master. You can see him losing his grip, but it's not enough. You want him utterly lost.

But as luck would have it, you have a trick up your sleeve that might change things.

"I want this," you reach down and grab his dick, giving it a firm squeeze, "inside me."

His breathing grows harsher. "We -- I -- we can't." Even as he arches into your touch, wanting it. You can feel the damp spot through the thin material of his trousers, evidence of his excitement for you. Gods, he looks good like this. Not letting up, you cup Obi-Wan's erection harder, unable to bite back a whine of your own.

Obi-Wan had refused to enter you without guaranteed protection, which for him meant something more reliable than condoms. (Stars, no matter how much you begged.) An implant chip had been difficult, but not impossible, for you to get.

"We can. See?"

You flex the implanted arm, where the chip sits underneath the surface of the skin. His eyes track the movement, then a finger comes up to trace the tiny device.

"You really got it," he says, almost to himself. The finger presses gently into your arm, moving the chip in little circles. Like he's checking to make sure it's really there. "I didn't think…"

"Didn't think it would ever be a possibility?" you finish. "I have my connections, Master."

Obi-Wan sends a wave of suspicion through the bond, so you show him how it was obtained. As a Jedi healer, you keep in contact with other medical centers throughout Coruscant, trade resources and sometimes favors. It just so happens that you were able to stop by in plainclothes and receive the implant, off-record, from one of your colleagues. Paid for, of course. Evidence of your visit just happened to disappear from the data system after your friend inserted the chip.

"I can't say I entirely agree with your methods," he admits. "Still, I much prefer it to you risking one from the black market."

"I wouldn't take that kind of chance."

"I know." He kisses your cheek. "You're smarter than that. But desperation can drive us to do things we normally wouldn't."

You squirm, happy that he's okay with what you've done, but getting restless. In your hand, his cock hasn't softened a bit, but from the way he's speaking, you wouldn't think it. How does he do it? The Knights you'd been with before hadn't had a quarter of his self control. Then again, they aren't half the man that Obi-Wan is.

"Speaking of desperation." You let out a small laugh, half breathlessness, half embarrassment. Your pulse is racing, and you know he can tell how badly you want him. "Please, Master? Take me?"

And you feel the waver. His serenity shivering like a mirage in the sand. The physical proof of how hard he's trying to keep it together in your hand jolts again at your words, how politely you beg for him. You know he loves it.

"Little one." His voice is low in your ear, something about the tone strange and new and dangerous. "Are you sure you know what you're asking for?"

You nod vigorously. "Obi-Wan, I -- I've wanted this for so long. Yes."

A flicker of uncertainty shows in his eyes as his hand comes up to cup your cheek once more. "So have I. But if I were to...to hurt you, you must tell me immediately. We can stop as soon as you say. And --" His anxiety is running away, and you break in to stop it.

"Hey. Hey," you put a finger to his lips, and he frowns at the interruption. "Obi-Wan. Listen to the Force. Feel me."

With a shaky breath, he does. Trusting in the Force is something he's been doing his whole life, and asking him to do it now helps calm him down. His half of your bond reaches, nerves spread over his emotions like thorns. When all you have to show him is your eagerness, your excitement, your joy that you finally get to do this with him, much of it relaxes.

I very much want you, Master Kenobi. It will not hurt. Unless...I want it to.

He's silent for a long moment, contemplating your implication. Then, "Trousers off, sweetest."

Yes!

Obi-Wan chuckles at your mental cheering, while you get to your feet and struggle out of your pants and underwear. He follows suit, sitting up on the bed and making quick work of his own clothes. You pause in taking off your tunic, because stars.

If you think he's pretty with clothes on, it's nothing compared to him looking up at you naked. His toned body is covered in fine, coppery hair, and adorned with a scattering of scars. You love to hear him tell their stories. What you love most, though, are the freckles. Almost gold in color and not visible when he's wearing robes, you feel like there are thousands spanning across every inch of the normally hidden skin. Like they exist just for you to kiss and worship. Miniature sunspots, marking his time in the galaxy.

This is the first time he's been fully naked for you, and Obi-Wan seems shy about being on display while you're still half dressed. You are so gorgeous, you think. His cock arcs up toward his belly, leaking a little at the tip. You all but lick your lips, watching a drop of pre-come dribble down his shaft. You want it inside you.

"Then take it," he murmurs, eyes darting back up to yours. One hand pats his own naked thigh, an invitation. His legs spread further, and you moan. "Come here, darling."

You don't need any more persuading. Even if you're nervous, you can't see yourself waiting one second longer for this. So you cross the small distance, crawl toward him on the mattress, and let Obi-Wan wrap his arms around you.

At first, that's where it stays. He sighs into your chest, breathing in the scent of you. You squeak when he reaches around and squeezes your bare ass with one hand, giving you a wry smile. The look almost says, Well? Are you going to ride my dick or not? You’re overwhelmed with how much of him there is to touch, how fucking nice he looks, just sitting there waiting for you. Like he could do it all day, no matter what his dick is saying. Patient and perfect and kind.

So you scoot closer, brushing your wet slit against his length. His nails grip into your naked skin, holding on tight as he watches your face. You relish the idea of his neatly kept fingernails leaving little marks on your hips and ass, where no one will know but you. You take him in your hand, lining him up with your opening, and Obi-Wan bites his lip -- hard. Still not letting more than the softest of gasps leave his mouth.

But as you wrap your legs around his waist and bury his cockhead in your wet warmth, that changes fast. He's barely inside you, testing both of your limits. You rock your hips a little, adjusting to the feeling of having something so large there, though you know this is just the beginning. Obi-Wan looks up at you, eyes huge, stock-still. You can feel him holding back, that perfect composure crumbling.

"This -- alright?" he asks, voice strained as if it's taking everything in him not to push you down onto his entire length.

You run a hand over his chest, taking a moment to appreciate the situation.

"More than," you say, hitching your hips higher. His cock sinks further, only a little, but each of you responds to the sensation. When you try a shallow thrust, Obi-Wan makes a sound suspiciously like a growl.

"Then please," he bites out.

"Please what?" you pull back until his tip sits inside your slit, and you swear he whines. You clench on nothing, wanting him fully seated inside you as much as he does, but teasing him like this is getting both of you so worked up.

"More," he gasps. "need you deeper, gods, don't -- don't tease me --"

Finally. You grin down at him, glad that he's stopped trying to act so composed. His face is flushed with the embarrassment of saying such a thing out loud, but he's looking right at you, determined to make you understand how much he needs it. Obi-Wan tugs at your tunic, hands insisting that it come off and now. You raise your arms and let him strip you bare, not missing the hungry look he gives your tits.

"Of course. All you had to do was ask," you say, and sink onto him completely.

You see his eyes roll back, and he does nothing to stifle the moan of relief and pleasure that rises from his throat. It echoes in the small space, sending dual shivers of fear and excitement through you. He realizes his mistake, uneasiness bristling in his Force signature.

Kriff, you wish that you weren’t doing this in the Temple right now. Because as delicious as he is trying to keep quiet -- all round eyes and stifled whimpers -- you’re greedy. You want more; your name in his mouth, on a desperate cry as he comes. Obi-Wan’s always so loud in your mind, in his pleasure, you can’t imagine what it would be like if he was actually using his voice. Hopefully being with him somewhere less...populated is something you can do in the future. For now, you work with what you’ve got. Starting a shallow rhythm, you ride Obi-Wan’s cock.

“Fuck,” you hiss, hands turning to claws as you scramble for something to hold onto. One wraps around Obi-Wan’s shoulder while the other finds purchase against his chest, your nails digging hard in his skin. He covers the hand with his own, making yours look tiny in comparison.

“Lan --guage --” he says in the middle of a deeper thrust from you, caught off guard. You can only laugh, breathless, too focused on keeping a reasonable volume yourself. It’s like you can feel every single curve and vein of him, like his cock was made to fit snug against your walls. Obi-Wan’s starting to meet your hips with every thrust, chest heaving with his ragged breath. He yanks you closer, your bodies parallel now instead of you sitting on him.

His pupils are blown wide in those deep blue eyes as he fucks you harder, nearly lifting you off of him with the force of it. At this point, you don’t have to do anything but sit there and take it.

“Obi-wan,” you whine. Tension is coiling deep in your stomach, and you’re powerless to stop yourself from giving your throbbing clit attention. But when he realizes what you’re trying to do, he bats your hand away and does it himself, calloused fingers providing a rough stimulus to the most sensitive part of your body. He pinpoints it in seconds, caressing and stroking just the way you like it. You clap a hand over your mouth to stifle the squeak you can’t bite back, spreading your legs further under his soaked fingers.

“If you’re coming,” he growls in your ear, not far off himself, “then I’m going to be the one responsible.”

Fuck fuck fuck fuck --

Maybe it’s the expert way he’s manhandling your body. Maybe it’s the way he’s still thrusting inside you, breath getting higher and more ragged as you sense him getting closer to his orgasm. Maybe it’s the way his half of the bond is blown wide open, a door left open in a storm, banging against its hinges. Obi-Wan’s thoughts are a barrage on your mind, relentless, almost too much to handle in such a sensitive state.

Gods so beautiful could look at you all day -- you’re going to come for me, darling, aren’t you? -- I love the way you look you feel so amazing around me so tight so wet so perfect --

It’s too much. Hand still tight over your mouth, you sob and come, bucking against his fingers as the contractions wrack your body in pulse after pulse. He’s generous enough to thrust more gently as you shiver through it, his eyes glued to the curve of your throat, how you’ve thrown your head back. Your thoughts are a blaze of nothing but Obi-Wan.

When you catch your breath, you slide off of him in one motion, feeling slick drip down your thighs. The mix of confusion and panic that shoots through the bond would have made you laugh, if you weren’t so turned on and orgasm-fuzzy.

“Your turn, Master,” you say, sinking onto your back with your legs across his lap. You wiggle there, teasing. “On top. Come for me -- please?”

For a few seconds, he does nothing. Then the realization of what you want, what you’ve said, hits him. Obi-Wan rushes over you like a tsunami, caging you against the bed. His cockhead brushes your sensitive slit and you arch into it, not shy about how badly you want this. When he lines himself up and sinks deep inside you, he buries the sound he makes into your shoulder, teeth grazing your collarbone. He starts thrusting at a brutal pace, forcing your breath out of you with every push in. You scratch at his back, helpless to control yourself, and that only makes him fuck you harder.

“Little -- one,” he grits out, hot breath on your skin.

“Y--es?”

“This -- won’t last long.” Obi-Wan’s pace is getting erratic even as he says it. “Where do y-you want --?”

“Inside me,” you answer without hesitation. “Obi-Wan, please, inside, come for me, please --”

Oh my gods, sweetest, yes -- yes -- oh, oh, oh --!

He doesn’t need any more persuading. Three more thrusts and he’s spilling inside you, hot and deep, planted as far in as he can get. He bites down on your shoulder through it, chest flat against your own. You find yourself hoping he leaves a mark. You roll your hips, loving the broken moans it drives from his lips.

Obi-Wan stays inside you after it’s over, nestling his head on your shoulder. Contentment swirls in his life Force, an almost drunken sense of relief and euphoria making him drowsy. You twine your own through it, letting him know you’ve been equally satisfied. It feels so right to lie here with him, a tangle of limbs and Force, knowing one another in every way. He hums in your ear, one hand stroking your hair sleepily. Though you’ve lived in this Temple your whole life, you’ve never felt more at home.

“Darling,” he says, voice lilting. You feel him stirring inside you, starting to harden again already.

“Yes?”

“Let’s go again.”

That’s a surprise. You expected him to politely but firmly insist you clean up in the fresher and then make yourself scarce, lest someone get suspicious about where you’ve gone to. Your silence must confirm that you’re taken aback, because he continues.

“I ship out again tomorrow.”

When you curse this time, he only laughs. “Such is war, love. Are you up for it, or not?”

You can’t refuse him.

[skywalker-swift]

I would love to hear more about tangled dinluke 👀

omg hello there I would love to talk more about it (this got super long so it’s going under the cut)

OKAY so cast of characters Luke as Rapunzel, Din as Flynn, Palpatine is Gothel, Anakin and Padme as the King and Queen, Leia would still be in this but just not born with magical powers so Luke and Leia still get separated, Din’s various vaguely criminal friends as some of the men in the ugly duckling, Artoo as Pascal, maybe Miggs and someone else as the stabbington brothers (i love miggs but thinking about the one episode in season one with the prison) and Max is IG-11, calling it now 

Anyways, basic plot of tangled still stands, Palpatine finds the flower and sings the song

Padme gets sick while pregnant with the twins, Anakin searches and finds the flower to save her, and thus the twins are born and alright, but Luke has this bright golden hair

Palpatine breaks in to steal a lock of hair, hair turns brown, steals a whole ass baby instead 

Palpatine raises Luke as his own, hiding him away from the outside world, and of course Luke sees the lights on his birthday and always the kid full of adventure longs to see them up close. Begs Palpatine to take him but Mr. Master Manipulator turns it against Luke, and continues to make Luke scared of the outside world

So Luke spends a lot of his time painting, cooking, so on and so forth

Anyways with the Brothers, Din steals the crown from the castle, and Grogu is there of course, which is the main reason Din is wanted by the kingdom, but because Din is always wearing a helmet, I think he might be more lax in this AU (haven’t figured that out yet), they can’t get what they think his face looks like on the wanted posters

Continued chase scene with the horse, Din ends up in the tower where Palpatine is hiding Luke away, and Luke just fucking decks him with the frying pan, and take Grogu away from him, who is super confused but likes Luke even though his dad was just knocked out, watching as Luke and Pascal try on the crown

Palpatine comes back, Luke tries to show him Din, and then the fight occurs, and Luke ends up asking for paint instead, so Palpatine leaves and Luke thanks Grogu for being so quiet

Luke and Artoo wake Din up, who is super confused by this pretty man with super long hair, and eventually he agrees to take Luke to see the floating lights, and Grogu is happy cause he likes making new friends!

Just imagine baby luke touching grass for the first time!!! Din is like literally what the fuck but also Luke is adorable so like whatever

Din tricks Luke into going into the Ugly Duckling because Din is not a fucking taxi service thank you very much, but then that goes wrong, and everyone is like Luke your dream is so cute!! Din your dream sucks 

Skipping forward to the scene in the cave filling with water Din tells Luke his name is Din (He’d been going by mando before, whoops sorry for not mentioning that sooner) and Luke is like I have magic hair and Din is like what the actual fuck 

aNYWAYS luke saves the day like always, and Din is like what did i get myself into, I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THIS but luke is so pretty and actually interested in knowing about Din, and so the orphanage thing is still real but Din tells him how he got Grogu, who just loves Luke so much, so Din takes that as a good sign, and Luke heals Din as well

Palpatine catches up to Din and Luke, and tries to convince Luke about Din’s true nature, and Luke is just like “I think he actually likes me,” and Palpatine “Toxic Kidnapper” manipulates Luke again with the crown 

Skipping forward a bit, just imagine their day in the city with Din and Luke, with Grogu so happy to see his Dad just so happy with someone for once, and Artoo, Grogu and IG are all like DANCE WITH HIM YOU FOOL cause there’s Luke looking like actual sunshine, and Din doesn’t dance, and then IG pushes him into the dance, and just Luke and Din holding each other at the very end of the dance (AHHHHH) OH and the little girls braid Luke’s hair cause i’m not taking out the long hair out of this plot luke would love his hair 

BEFORE THEY RELEASE THE LIGHTS DON’T THINK ABOUT HOW SAD PADME AND ANAKIN WOULD LOOK WITH LEIA, STILL TRYING TO FIND LUKE AFTER ALL THIS TIME AND HOPING THAT THIS TIME HE FINALLY COMES HOME BECAUSE THEY AREN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT HIM AHHHHHH

So, boat scene happens, and just Grogu sitting on Din’s lap so happy, and Din just calming Luke down about how if his dream doesn’t add up, and Just soft looks from Din and when the floating lights start appearing, Luke is just so happy, and Din is like “fuck I fell for him,’ and Luke eventually looks and sees Din and is like ‘fuck i fell for him and his little baby is so cute,’ so they send off lights together, and are holding hands with Grogu just happy to be apart of this and to see his dad look happy like that

Stabbington Brothers Spotted! On the shore, so Din is like, I should finish this so maybe Luke, Grogu and I can all live a happy life somewhere, and of course they knock him out and set him up pushing him across the lake on a ship, 

Luke and Grogu are just waiting for him to come back when the brothers threaten them, so Luke takes him and runs, and Palpatine saves him, so Grogu goes with Luke back to the tower

Din wakes up in prison, and he’s about to get executed, and all he can think of is Luke and Grogu, and he sees the brothers in jail cell, and threatens them, they tell him that Palpatine took them with her after scamming him

IG goes and gets the ugly duckling guys, and they get Din out of there, hook hand is def boba i forgot to mention that earlier, and Din and IG race towards the castle, where Palpatine knows he’s coming. 

Din gets there, Luke lets down his hair, Din makes it up the tower, sees Luke and Grogu in chains, Palpatine comes behind Din and stabs him, Grogu is crying and angry, and Luke is just resisting

Palpatine tries to get the two of them out of there, and Luke tells him that he will fight everyday of his life, unless he can save Din, then Din is locked up, and Luke is just like stop talking let me heal you, and Din cuts his hair instead of letting Luke heal him because he would rather Luke and Grogu be free than himself be alive

Palpatine turns to dust like the little bitch he is

“You were my new dream,” “And you were mine,” don’t fucking look at me

Grogu and Luke crying over Din, Grogu in Luke’s lap, then bam magic powers rescue the day, and just picture Grogu staring at the light

“Luke..Grogu?” and they just throw themselves on Din, who just so happy to have them both in his life, and Grogu in Din’s lap when he kisses Luke for the first time, don’t look at me 

the reunion scene with luke’s family, Padme staring at her son, and Leia throwing herself onto Luke, and Anakin wrapping all three of them into the biggest hug, and Padme pulling Din and Grogu in as well  DON’T FUCKING LOOK AT ME PADME WOULD HAVE LOVED DIN

And then the final scene with Luke being the one who like “after many times of asking, I finally said yes,” “Luke...” “Okay!! He finally said yes :D” and then Luke, Grogu and Din live happily ever after as a little family 

Omg sorry this is so long but here you go!!! please ask me more questions about this AU with details i might have missed!! thank you so much for your ask! also sorry about any spelling mistakes I was just so fucking excited when you sent this ask) 

[beck-a-leck]

Hug prompt 22- Jumping up and down together with any characters. I feel like it would be a good reunion :)

Nonny, you said reunion, and I couldn't help but think that it would be absolutely perfect for Star Wars. We're gonna say this takes place in some perfect AU where Order 66 doesn't happen and Ahsoka gets to go back to the Temple and gets the Hugs She Deserves!

Enjoy!

💜💜💜

It was with no small amount of relief that Ahsoka handed over Maul, still locked securely in the Mandalorian cell, over to the Jedi. It felt strange, and hurt more than a little, to be back at the Jedi Temple. She had always hoped that one day she might return here, return home, but she had also hoped Anakin and Obi-Wan might be there to welcome her back.

Right now, she didn’t know where they were. Nobody had given her many details, but there had been something hinky with the Chancellor, as well as General Grievous showing up halfway across the galaxy. Last she knew, they were off taking care of that – as per usual with Anakin and Obi-Wan in the war. They never stayed in one place for very long.

“You have done extremely well, Ahsoka,” Master Windu offered some rare praise. “Skywalker would be proud. Maul has proven to be a formidable enemy.”

Ahsoka nodded, smiling and feel warmed by the praise, if still a little awkward just being in the Temple again. “Thank you, Master Windu. I understand if you can’t tell me, but do you know where Anakin is? And Master Obi-Wan?”

Mace simply gestured behind Ahsoka.

At the same time, someone called, “Snips!”

Ahsoka spun around and thought she might cry. Her master and grandmaster were running towards her, expressions of utter relief on their faces. Ahsoka took off running towards them, and once they were close enough, she jumped, throwing her arms around them.

They caught her, held her close, stumbled back a couple steps before dinging their footing.

“You did it, Ahsoka! You caught Maul!” Anakin squeezed her as hard as he could, jumping up and down a few times jut to get the energy and excitement out. “I know you could do it, Snips! I knew you could!”

Ahsoka jumped along with Anakin, and they both dragged Obi-Wan into the motion. She had only just seen the two of them a few days ago, but it still felt like ages since she’s really seen them, since she’d been able to hug them like this. “I couldn’t have done it without you, without your help. Without the clones and your teachings.”

“Take credit where it’s due, Ashoka, you faced Maul one-on-one and won. That is no small victory.”

They finally stilled, stepping back a little, but not enough to drop their arms from each other’s shoulders. “What about you two? I understand you’ve have a very busy week, taking out Dooku and Grievous. And what’s this about the Chancellor?”

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look that spoke of deep exhaustion and unsettled business, but they turned back to Ahsoka with strained smiles.

“It is quite a long story. And I believe Anakin has something important to tell you not related to the war.’ Obi-Wan said pointedly. “Why don’t we get something to eat. There is a lot to discuss.”

And the Jedi turned and walked Ahsoka deeper into the Temple.

[the-obiwan-for-me]

firstly, congrats on finishing She Said the Word!!! I've enjoyed it from start to finish and I've been reading it since almost the very beginning so it's been super fun to see it come to an end!!! Would you ever consider writing that "emotional" obi-wan and satine reunion after their respective stints in jail?? I can't find it at the moment but I feel like I remember you writing something about that??? :eyes emoji: anyway!! just thought I'd ask :)) hope you have a great day!!!

Thank you for this inspiration! And sorry it took a bit of time. I definitely had wanted to include this scene in the story itself, but sometimes you have to leave stuff out for the sake of pacing and mood. So, essentially, it’s a “deleted scene” (even if I wrote it after the fact).

If anyone else wants to offer up a prompt, either from this AU or one more aligning with canon, just send it my way! I will admit, I am not always fabulous with prompts, but if I think I can wrangle it, I will.

This contains spoilers up through chapter 65, Aftermath, of “She Said the Word,” so I will put the story below the break. Hope you enjoy!

Home

Any other time, it would seem like a fairly normal visit, Satine thought as she was bustled through the Senate building, surrounded by Coruscanti Guard. But this time the guards weren’t protecting her; they were guarding her, like some criminal mastermind or fearsome warlord.

In a strange way, Satine thought wryly to herself, she supposed she was some sort of warlord now.

 Beside Satine rushed her longtime aide, Kayla, who had finally bullied her way onto a transport from Mandalore, bringing with her endless apologies on Lily getting away from her, clothes appropriate for the family to wear in the Senate, and news from home, which she now hurriedly half whispered to Satine in an odd mix of Mando'a dialects in case of eavesdroppers. The petite woman had more than made up for Lily's escape, though Satine hardly blamed her for the girl's delinquency. Somehow, through sheer force of determination and grit, Kayla had kept the government from imploding or following its duchess and Mand'alor into a foolhardy rescue attempt. 

The troopers stopped at a door, and Satine had to reach out and grab Kayla's arm to keep her from running straight into the trooper, distracted as she was as she shared nearly two weeks' worth of news and relayed, from memory, messages from clan leaders and house heads. 

The door slid open, and troopers moved to allow Satine to pass. Kayla went to follow, but was stopped. "Prisoners only."

Kayla pushed against the soldier. "But I need to speak with the Duchess. I have more news to-" 

"Prisoners only," he said again, stepping more solidly in her path. She looked up at Satine, who had stopped beside her.

"Your grace…"

"It will be alright, Kayla. You have done good work thus far, and I have no doubt you will continue to do so." She squeezed the woman's hand when she saw her eyes well with tears. "K'oyacyi, my dear friend. Mandalore will persevere. We will persevere."

Kayla pressed her lips together, clearly willing herself from letting her tears fall. She squeezed Satine's hand then bowed her head. "Yes, your grace. Oya manda," she whispered, then stepped back, letting the party cross the threshold into the room beyond.

Satine crossed through the antechamber of the conference room turned holding cell and stopped short in the archway, relief sweeping over her at the sight in front of her. Korkie and Ahsoka sat in a corner, heads close together, speaking in hushed tones, while Anakin stood near the floor to ceiling window, speaking with Fenn Rau, Greer Eldar, and Ursa Wren. At the expansive table sat Obi-Wan, methodically fixing tea for he and Lily, who sat beside him, watching him work.

At some point in her relationship with Qui-Gon Jinn, probably on one of her many heartsick nights, her mind clouded and stormy with grief and uncertainty, he had set about making them all tea, in his quiet, methodical way. He offhandedly mentioned that making tea could almost be a form of meditation. She knew Obi-Wan often thought about that, as did she. She wondered, as their daughter watched him carefully, if he had told her the same thing, to ease her fragile heart and still her frantic mind.

Satine watched them all quietly for a long moment, everyone too caught up in their own worries to notice her. That was fine. She wanted to take them all in for a heartbeat; her beautiful, strong children and her kind, brave husband. She just needed that beat to drink them in before the world crashed back down around her and she had to remember they were criminals in the mind of the Republic.

The moment paused for her, just enough, and then ended when Obi-Wan happened to glance up and caught sight of her standing there. His face passed from quiet contemplation to delighted surprise to joyous relief, and he leapt from his seat, bounding across the distance between them, and swept her into his arms. For the first time in over ten days, Satine felt like she was home. Though they were hundreds of lightyears from their physical home, locked in a conference room, treated like war criminals and treacherous beasts, this man was the living embodiment of home.

“Stars, Satine,” he breathed into her hair, and she was caught by the silly thought that she was glad Kayla had been unable to fit her normal headdress within her tight packing guidelines. “Master Windu told me time and time again that you were alright, but I’m just so glad to see it for myself.”

His arms were warm and strong, and she wished for him never to let go. She buried her head into the crook of his neck more, breathing deep. His skin smelled of the same industrial soap she had used to shower in the detention center, but the tunic Kayla had seen to him getting still held traces of the subtle warm scent of his preferred cologne. He smelled like home. 

She tried to speak, but found that no words would come, only a quiet sob of relief and fear and uncertainty that she hadn’t known she had been holding for days. “You are alright, aren’t you?” he whispered into her ear when her body trembled against him with the silent sob.

She didn’t trust her voice, so she merely nodded against his shoulder. “Good,” he said again, tightening his hold on her, rocking her gently. In turn, she wrapped her arms about his neck, holding onto him as if he could float away at any moment. 

She wasn't sure how much time passed as they stood like that, gently swaying, but he stirred her back to the present when he finally spoke again. "Everything will work out, my love. Be brave. Yes?"

She nodded against him again. "Yes," she agreed, finally managing to find her voice. She allowed herself to pull loose of his embrace, and found Lily standing beside her. She pulled the girl into her arms, hugging her tight, kissing the top of her head. "Are you well, little warrior?" she asked. Lily nodded, sinking into Satine's embrace.

"I missed you," Lily said. 

"And I missed you. But now we're together again." 

"All of us."

Satine looked up to find the other three had come over. She opened her arms and they entered the circle of her arms, trapping Lily against her. She hugged them all as best she could, her little warrior, her kind little jetii girl, and her two big Mando'ade boys. It wasn't just Obi-Wan who was home. This was home. These children. Her husband. Their love. This was her safe harbor. Her rest. Her joy.

Obi-Wan approached, and she felt the soothing weight of his warm hand against her back. "We must all be brave, now," he said softly. "There will be those who will see us fall, but we must be strong against them. Trust in the Force, my darlings. We will see this through."

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Satine reluctantly let her children go. She turned, hand reaching out for Obi-Wan's and finding it, to find Bail Organa waiting, Padme brushing past him to come to Anakin. 

"It is time, my friends," he said, his voice somber. 

"Thank you, Bail," Obi-Wan said, straightening his back, as if preparing for a battle. Satine supposed that this was just one more battle for them. He looped her hand in the crook of his elbow, and went to lead their family toward the door, when Lily stopped them. 

Reaching up, the girl pushed a loose pin back into Satine's hair, trapping a wayward curl back where it belonged. She smoothed her hand across Satine's hair.

"That's better. Now you're ready," Lily said quietly, smiling softly. Satine kissed the top of her girl's forehead, running her hand through her long hair, left loose and brushed smooth by Padme. 

"Thank you, verd'ika. Now I am ready for anything."

With that, she allowed Obi-Wan to lead her out, holding her head high, ready to fight for her home.

[passable-talent]

Going with Ani to free his mom because you know it’s such a big moment for him (and obviously being there for the aftermath)

oof. here I go to make myself angsty for the evening

same day request answering. its like its april.

Padme Amidala is a really good person. It pretty much all comes back to that. 

She’s kind. She’s empathetic. She recognizes when someone is in pain, and when someone needs help. She understands when an unwise course of action is one that needs to be taken. 

So, of course, she understood when the Jedi apprentice meant to protect her instead wanted to run away to his birth planet and help his mother. Of course she did. 

Though, level headed as she was, she thought that it might be wise to gather up another Jedi. To watch over her while Anakin was distracted, or possibly to help Anakin face whatever plagued his mother. 

She suggested Anakin call upon Obi-Wan, which he refused. Obi-Wan’s mission was just as important, and if he knew what Anakin planned, Anakin would never be allowed to go.

So, instead, he called for you. 

You were also a Jedi apprentice, at that time training between missions at the temple on Coruscant. Your master, Shaak Ti, trusted you immensely, and granted you permission to leave on your own. You commanded a Starfighter and were on your way- opening a com to Anakin en route. You had never been to Tatooine before, but had heard about it whenever Anakin felt like sharing his childhood. As his closest friend other than his master, you knew how much his mother weighed on his soul, and how much he had wished that Qui-Gon could have saved her, too. You had known that one day, he would try to return. He had promised his Shmi as much. 

Anakin’s reunion with Watto was tense for just about everyone there. You didn’t know the terrain, you barely knew Padme, you certainly didn’t know Watto, but you felt the impatience rolling off of Anakin. It put you on edge, and so as he followed Watto into the shop, you kept pace behind Padme, ensuring her safety. It was the one thing you felt you were capable of doing, the one thing you could control. 

Anakin wasn’t very talkative. Padme tried- but he was a focused man, and felt closer to finding his mother than he had in a decade. You were a silent support, beside the senator, as though you could take some of the weight off of Anakin’s shoulders. Every emotion he experienced seemed to radiate out from him, and it almost made your head pound to get blasted with them all- the guilt, the fear, the anger. You just hoped that he’d find his mother alive, or else, you imagined, this would get so much worse. 

When you left the ship again, you found yourself in the most flat, barren landscape you’d ever seen. Growing up among the skyscrapers of Coruscant, it was almost unfathomable, to look out at the horizon and see nothing between you and it. 

There was, however, one little building, which you could gather was your destination. And a droid. 

Anakin’s mind must have been clouded by his emotion, or maybe he just wasn’t showing it, because you could feel that something was off. From the moment C-3PO requested to go inside, you knew that there was nothing but bad news here. You couldn’t say anything, though- you felt it wasn’t your place. Anakin was among his family, now, even if they’d never met him, and he needed to hear it from them. 

You could tell. Shmi Skywalker was gone. 

“It was just before dawn,” Cliegg Lars explained, “they came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders.” You had heard of them before- in Anakin’s ramblings of the pod racing he did as a child. You sat at the end of the table opposite Cliegg, though it did feel informal. The head of the table was meant for anyone other than you, surely- but Anakin had his place at Cliegg’s right hand, and Owen at his left. 

“Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms off the vaporators.” At the very least, you were silently happy that Shmi had spent her last years as a free woman with a husband that clearly cared about her greatly. 

“From the tracks, she was about halfway home...” Your heart broke with every word for Anakin Skywalker, who had spent years dreaming of returning for his mother, only to arrive too late. “...When they took her.” Anakin’s face was devoid of clear emotion, but you knew him well- you could see that famous temper brewing inside of him. But, this was more than a frustration. This was so much deeper than that. 

“Those tuskens walk like men,” Cliegg continued with a sigh, “but they’re mindless, vicious monsters. Thirty of us went out after her, four of us came back.” You lowered your head in respect, but kept your eyes on your friend, whose brows were tightly knit. He was thinking, mulling it over, considering, processing. You couldn’t blame him, but wished you could make it easier. 

“I’d be out there with them, but...” Cliegg, too, was weighed down by his grief. His loss, you could see, was still just as raw as Anakin’s. “After I lost my leg, I just couldn’t ride anymore, until I heal.” Anakin’s heart seemed to break open wider with every moment that passed him by, and Cliegg continued, trying to reassure his lost stepson that his mother hadn’t died unloved. 

“I don’t want to give up on her, but she’s been gone a month.” Unimaginable it was how much it must’ve hurt Anakin to know that he had missed her by only a month. “There’s little hope she’s lasted this long.”

And there it was- the clear implication to Anakin that his mother was not only gone, but dead. That there was a finality to it, and nothing he could do. You watched him, carefully, as he turned his head, and clearly you could see that he didn’t take such helplessness well. 

He stood, and you made to do the same, but the both of you were interrupted by Owen, asking Anakin’s intensions. 

“To find my mother,” Anakin said, and you let out a short breath. 

“Your mother’s dead, son,” Cliegg said, with the voice of a heartbroken husband, “Accept it.” 

Anakin left without a word. 

You followed, knowing his plan. 

“Anakin, it’s dangerous,” you told him, and he turned, shaking his head. 

“I’m going. I have to.” 

“I know,” you said, and in the gaze you shared with him, he realized that you meant to come with him. 

Padme emerged from the entrance, and her gaze met yours. You nodded, and she gathered that you hadn’t been able to stop him. You hadn’t tried. 

“You’re gonna have to stay here,” you said, a little more hardness in your tone than you had intended. “You’ll be safe until we return.” Anakin stood behind you, grief and anger rolling off of him, and though she could not feel the Force, Padme clearly could see a man in pain. After all, Padme Amidala is a really good person. She walked to him and gave him a brief hug. 

“We won’t be long,” you promised as they parted, and as she retreated inside, you followed him to the speeder. 

The longer he rode, the more anguish he felt. He hardened before you, from a boy who lost his mother, to a man who sought revenge. You could only hope you would serve to curb the damage. 

Just after nightfall you reached the encampment of the raiders, their domes still lit by dying fires. You deferred to Anakin’s lead, assuming that he would know your enemy better than you. It had been a while since the two of you had gone on a mission together- if the atmosphere were less dire, you might have even enjoyed it. 

You don’t know how he chose which dome to enter, but it was the right one. You felt the world change when Anakin laid eyes on the bloodied woman tied to a post, like you were recognizing her yourself. Shmi Skywalker, still alive.

“Go,” you whispered, stationing yourself between the opening of the dome and the opening Anakin had created. His reunion was his own, and you gave him the best security and privacy you could. It was astounding that she had survived, all this time, and for a moment you were filled with hope, joy, that he had disobeyed Cliegg and searched for her anyway. Otherwise, she likely never would have been found. You kept your eyes to the night outside the dome, a lookout, your breathing calm with the joy and love and relief that Anakin had once again allowed into his body. 

And then you felt it change. 

You whirled around, and she was dead, and Anakin’s silence was suddenly all you could hear. The world was turning red around the both of you as he felt the grief of his mother’s death for a second time, and his eyes lifted to yours. 

“Anakin,” you breathed, knowing nothing else to say. His grief hardened into anger, but he gently closed her eyes and held her close. You didn’t know what to do. Panic hit you hard as his anger curdled into rage, and his eyes lifted. 

“Anakin, we need to take her home,” you said, hoping to deflect his focus. He didn’t listen. 

As he lowered her gently to the floor so that he could stand, you tried to move into his way, and successfully you cupped his face, catching his eyes for just a moment. In them, you didn’t see the anger you felt from him. In them, you saw so much sadness. 

And so you let him go. 

It wasn’t the Jedi way, you knew that. And you wished you could will yourself to move, to stop him, because the pain that his actions would cause would haunt him, possibly for the rest of his life. But it felt as though he needed this, as though it was the only thing that would sate his soul. So you breathed mantras, and did your best to combat his anger with peace, thinking that it might invade him. 

And when the Tusken Raiders had all given their last breaths to Anakin Skywalker, you went to him. 

He collapsed to his knees under his own weight, no longer grieving but feeling a consuming emptiness. You had to force yourself to block it out as you ran to him, and pulled him against you. Never before had you felt someone who needed a hug so bad, and only then did he begin to break, knotting his fingers into the robes at your back. He buried his face, but did not cry, and you stayed as long as he needed you to. 

You drove home. He held his mother, behind you, cradling her like she had once held him. You rode through sunrise, back to Cliegg’s home, where quickly you were met by Owen, Padme, Cliegg, Beru. You dismounted quickly and retreated, knowing that this was Anakin’s moment, and his alone. His anger had returned, but it didn’t feel so sharp anymore- it was anger and sadness and frustration, and it just felt to you like pain. Incredible pain. 

You stayed in the room with him, wherever he went, continuing the strategy you’d had back at the camp. You held peace in your chest, and hoped that he could feel it the way you felt his pain. You hoped it would calm him. His pain did not fade, but it did dull, and for a while as he tinkered with the shifter, it felt as though maybe the anger had drained from his body. 

Padme entered with two meals, and she handed one to you before approaching Anakin, her footsteps light, but her presence noticeable. 

“I brought you something,” she said over his shoulder, and when he didn’t respond, she moved around to his front. “Are you hungry?”

“The shifter broke,” he told her, and if it wouldn’t have taken from your concentration you would’ve chuckled. He avoided the question- you knew he hadn’t eaten in at least a day. “Life seems so much simpler when you’re fixing things.” You would give anything to have back the boy you’d trained with on Corellia. So heavy Anakin felt now, with everything that had happened. You wished you could give him back the peace he had once felt. Padme looked to you briefly as she moved to set down the tray near Anakin, and you nodded. You’d get him to eat eventually. 

“I’m good at fixing things,” Anakin continued, “always was.” Padme turned back to him slowly, the both of you noticing the waver in his voice. “But I couldn’t...” he trailed off, putting down his tools. “Why’d she have to die? Why couldn’t I save her?” You sat up, more toward your feet, ready to approach him if you felt the need. He was getting ramped up again, but the jagged edges of his grief this time was less anger and more blame. Blame on the Tuskens, blame on himself. “I know I could have!” He turned from Padme and for the briefest of moments his eyes met yours, but he moved forward, away from both of you.

“Sometimes there are things no one can fix,” Padme said softly, and you kept your breathing steady to combat his erratic emotion. “You’re not all powerful, Ani.” 

“Well, I should be,” he said, giving her words no time to hang in the air. 

“Anakin,” you said, showing disapproval of such a thought, and for the first time wished Obi-Wan was there. 

“Someday I will be,” he insisted. “I will be the most powerful Jedi ever.” He turned to face you and Padme again, tears glistening on his face but his expression angry. You didn’t know what to say, even when he levied his gaze toward you. 

“I promise you. I will even learn to stop people from dying.” 

“Anakin,” it was Padme’s turn to say, and what he said next shook you to your core.

“It’s all Obi-Wan’s fault!” he shouted, “He’s jealous! He’s holding me back!” Anakin launched whatever he’d picked up across the room, and it clattered quietly before coming to rest. 

“You know that’s not true,” you said, quickly rising to your feet. You took a step closer to Anakin as he turned away, but did not get too near. 

“I know,” he conceded under his breath. Padme sensed what was really going on.

“What’s wrong, Ani?’ She asked, and finally you realized what was truly causing his pain, in this moment. He was looking at his hands as he stuttered the beginning of a sentence, the hands that had killed so many. 

The peace in your body faltered- if you had stopped him, he wouldn’t be grieving nearly so much now. It was your fault.

“I killed them,” he explained, “I killed them all. They’re dead- every single one of them.” He turned to Padme with rage at himself and the raiders twitching his lips, tears still falling from his eyes. “And not just the men, but the women and the children, too. They’re like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals!” You lowered your head, trying to push away your own guilt so that you could be there for him. His pain, you knew, was greater than yours. 

“I hate them!” 

Hate leads to suffering. 

As Anakin sank to the floor, you and Padme sat to flank his sides. You were his best friend, closer to him than anyone else in the world, and so you leaned against his side while Padme offered her words. 

“To be angry is to be human.” 

“I’m a Jedi,” Anakin insisted, “I know I’m better than this.”

“Most Jedi never know their parents,” you said softly, “and never form attachments. There is no one in a Jedi’s life who matters as much as your mother does to you. I’m sure you’re taking this with more grace than Master Windu would have.” Anakin didn’t laugh, but he did quiet, almost as though he believed you. Slowly you found the hand he held beside his knee, and gathered it into yours. 

Padme leaned forward and gave him the best hug she could from the side, but then left Anakin alone with you. 

She’s a good person, like that. 

“Anakin, I’ve known you for a long time,” you started quietly, “and all of that time I’ve known you to be a kind man. A compassionate man. Quick to anger, yes, but not to judgement. They earned your rage, and that’s okay. It does not outweigh all of the good you’ve done in your life.” His grip tightened on your hand, still his breathing erratic, but once again the jagged edges of his mind began to soften. You let silence drift into the room for a moment as he slowly evened. 

“She was beautiful,” you said, laying your head down onto his shoulder. He nodded, and slowly, there grew the beginning of a smile on his face. “And she won’t be forgotten.” 

-🦌 Roe

[rinrinp42]

@kitsunekage88 replied to this post with this:

Jango/Obi Where Obi saves Boba who drags him home to sell his dad all about it and Jango falls hard and fast ?

Obi-Wan did not usually feel thankful when his Padawan could not come on missions, but Anakin could be a bit…

Well, Obi-Wan did not think that the young Mando’ade[1] that had been in the middle of the warehouse the Spice dealers when he busted in would take well to Anakin’s particular type of self-righteousness.

“That was so cool! You just jumped down an’ then Pow! Zap! An’ you dodged like, like, an aiwha[2] in the sky!”

Obi-Wan smiled at the child. There was something about how he bounced back from being a hostage that was endearing.

“You gotta meet Buir[3]!”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan told the boy.  No doubt his parents would need reassurance that the drug dealers would not be seeking retribution – or that said parents did not need to hunt them down either, “And where is your Buir?”

“Our ship’s in the docks!” the boy grinned up at him, one tooth lost from his grin, “We just came here ‘cause Buir needed to meet some people.”

Obi-Wan nodded as he held out a hand.  The boy took it.

“Can you tell me what your ship looks like?  Or who your Buir was meeting?  I’m Obi-Wan by the way.”

“’m Boba!  Buir said they were aliit[4] from when he was younger!  He was gonna in-tro-duce,” he sounded out the word, “me after he first met them.”

And then these drug runners had taken the boy.  Vengeance wasn’t the Jedi way, but Force, Obi-Wan almost wished he had been harsher on them than he had.  An interrupted family reunion.  Maybe he’d let slip a few names when returning Boba…

Speaking of.

“Which dock Bob’ika[5]?”

Boba looked up at him, wide eyed.

“You know Mando’a[6]?”

“A friend taught me,” Obi-Wan told him, the old ache from thinking about Satine barely hurting, “but she has a very Sundari[7] accent, so you’ll have to forgive that.”

“’sokay!  The Cuy’val Dar[8] have a lotta different accents!”

Those who no longer exist?  Just who did this child belong to? Obi-Wan fought back the urge to frown.  His Master had endeavored to keep news of Mandalor away from him after their mission, so maybe it was a new faction?

“The dock Bob’ika?”

The boy nodded, “right, it was, uhhh, Jenth-Osk?”

Obi-Wan glanced around and, upon finding signs, started in that direction.

“…Obi?”

“Yes Bob’ika?”

“Your friend… she wasn’t Death Watch right?  ‘cause Buir says they’re all hut’uun[9].”

Obi-Wan had a moment of surprise at the idea of a child using such language, before shaking it off. He didn’t know the situation. Anakin learned most of his worst language from overhearing things as a child.  Just because Obi-Wan himself and Quin had begged Rael to teach them and the Knight had, does not mean that was how everyone learned.

“No, she hates Death Watch.” But Obi-Was was sure that she’d hate the Cuy’val Dar just as much given how Boba was enthralled by Obi-Wan’s battle prowess.  Not that he’d tell the boy that.

“Jate!  I knew you wouldn’t be friends with hut’uun!  You’re too good a warrior!”

Force but this child was bringing back all the ways that Obi-Wan had loved Mandalor.

And this port was far too crowded.

“Bob’ika, would it be alright if I carried you?  I would hate to find your Buir only to no longer have you.”

Boba paused and thought about it before nodding.

Obi-Wan carefully swung the boy up onto his shoulders.  Boba held on as he quizzed Obi-Wan about other battles the redhead had been in.

“Bob’ika!” a voice cut through the crowd.

A Mando in blue and grey beskar’gam pushed his way towards them.

“Buir!” Boba yelled back, wiggling.

Obi-Wan reached up and pulled Boba down, getting the boy’s feet back on the ground just as the Mando got to them.  The Jedi was impressed at how he was able to both hug Boba to him and subtly point a weapon at Obi-Wan.

“Buir, Obi-Wan saved me! The laandur[10] ge’huttuun[11] that took me didn’t expect him an’ then he jumped down an’ it was so cool!  I bet he could take Kal easily!  But not you Buir,” the boy was quick to assure his parent.

The Mando tipped his helmet towards Obi-Wan.

“Well, I might just owe you Jetii[12],” he spoke, standing up still holding onto Boba.

“I was already tracking them down, if anything, Boba yelling at them how they were laandur and cowards helped me.”

The Mando laughed at that.

“Still, I owe you if only because you took care of taking them out for me.  I don’t know how they even got ahold of him…”

Boba was definitely not looking at his parent now.  Obi-Wan’s lips quirked.  Well. Children would be children.

“If you would like,” he spoke carefully, not wanting to offend but wanting to keep hearing that Mando’ade accent – even if it was a Concord Dawn[13] variant and not the Sundari variant that Satine carried, “I may have a few suggestions on how to keep an eye on a curious child – my Padawan is 15 and I’ve been raising him since he was 9.”

Even without the Force, Obi-Wan thought he would have known that under that helmet the Mando gave a slow grin.  Small gods but Obi-Wan was starting to feel like he did when Quin dragged him out for a night out with Aayla keeping an eye on Anakin for him.

“Well then,” the Mando said, “why don’t you join me for lunch and you can share.”

He turned then, moving towards a Firespray-31.

“The name’s Jango by the way.”

Oh, this man was going to be the death of Obi-Wan, he was sure.

But he was pretty sure that the reverse was going to also be true.

And a little death was always fun.

[1] Mandalorian(s) – children of Mandalore

[2] Also called air whales, a non-sentient species of winged cetaceans native to the planet Kamino

[3] Mando for parent (Mando is a non-gendered language)

[4] Family, clan – can also mean clan name, identity

[5] Diminutive suffix – also added to a name as a very familiar or childhood form (Obi could be considered being too familiar using this but Boba’s also, like, 6 so.)

[6] The language of the Mandalorian people

[7] The capital of the planet Mandalor

[8] Lit. “Those Who No Longer Exist” – 100 individuals called by Jango that trained the Clones

[9] Coward (worst possible insult)

[10] Delicate, fragile (sometimes an insult – weak, pathetic)

[11] Bandit, villain, petty thief – can also mean a serious criminal you have no respect for - abusive

[12] Mando for Jedi

[13] An agricultural frontier world in the Mandalore sector of the Outer Rim Territories – Jango’s birth planet

[sistersofthelightforce]

Facing Facts: The apprentice

This could alternatively be titled: 5 times Anakin tried to repair his relationship with Ahsoka and one time he knew it was fixed.

The first time Anakin sees her, it’s not a horrendous argument but it’s not a tearful reunion either.

In fact, it was barely even worth noting, if it hadn’t ripped his soul to shreds.

He had only been walking through the palace, hoping to find a place to get some spare parts for his next project with Luke.

Then he bumps into someone. A Togruta woman.

“Sorry ma’am, I wasn’t looking where I was- Ahsoka?”

She looks up at him and her eyes widen. Through the padawan bond he didn’t even think they still had, he feels panic rise through her.

Ahsoka claps her hands over her mouth. She turns to leave and he reaches out to her.

“Ahsoka wait-“ he began, but she has already run off.

He goes straight to Queen Karee.

“You didn’t tell me Ahsoka was here!” He says accusatorily, not even bothering to say hello as he bursts into her office, which he faced a surprising lack of opposition to.

“I told you there were people from your past here. Truthfully Skywalker I’m surprised you hadn’t worked it out.” Queen Karee doesn’t look up from her paperwork as she replies.

“You said I’d find them when the time was right? Was that the right time?!” Anakin demands, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

“No, no it wasn’t.” The Queen’s tone was almost sad.

“She was terrified! She was terrified-“ his voice catches as his own words hit him. “She was terrified of me.” Anakin slumps, feeling defeated.

Queen Karee looks up this time. “When she’s ready, the palace will take you to her quarters Skywalker, I promise you.”

The strange thing about Iith’s palace, disregarding its residents, is that it seemed to have multiple levels and no stairs. Doorways seemed to appear after a certain amount of walking, so it really was surprising that Anakin and Ahsoka had managed to bump into each other in the first place.

So when a door appears in front of Anakin almost a month later, he knocks on it hesitantly.

“Come in,” Ahsoka calls out. Anakin wonders if she knows it’s him or not.

When he enters, she seems to freeze again, but Queen Karee’s words ring in Anakin’s head. Ahsoka has to be ready to see him if he’s here.

“Hey Snips,” he says softly.

“Hey Skyguy.” Ahsoka gestures for him to sit on the other side of the couch from her. He hesitantly obeys.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he admits.

She looks at him gently. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to.”

Anakin tries to search for something to say. “So you’re one of those Sisters?”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka smirks. “One of the originals.”

“Oh,” he replies. “Cool.”

There is silence for a moment or two, and Anakin knows they will get nowhere avoiding things.

“I’m really sorry, Ahsoka, for everything. I’ve caused so much pain, to you, to people you care about, to people I care about. You have no idea how sorry I am,” he confesses.

Ahsoka makes a strangled noise and he looks over at her, alarmed.

“I missed you.” It’s somewhere between a whisper and a whimper, and Ahsoka sounds on the brink of tears.

Having absolutely no clue what to do, Anakin moves a little closer and puts an arm around her to try and comfort her. It’s strange, he never used to be super affectionate but ever since he was brought back, he’s much more into affection.

Ahsoka lets out a sob and wraps both her arms around him.

“You’re okay, Snips. I got you,” he murmurs gently.

Ahsoka hugs him tighter. “I tried so hard to hate you. After the start of the war, after Malachor, after the Death Star. But I never could. I tried so hard but I never could,” she confesses, still crying into his shoulder.

Anakin feels like he’s been given an honour he doesn’t deserve. “Thank you,” he says, feeling on the brink of tears himself.

After that, Anakin would spend time with Ahsoka as well. They’d talk or go on some escapade, and it would be fun.

On this particular day, Anakin has managed to beg the use of some training sabres of off Queen Karee, who was planning to use them to train younglings. When he explained to her it was for Ahsoka, she conceded.

Anakin bounds into Ahsoka’s quarters with a grin on his face. “Hey Snips, I got some training sabres of off the Queen you want to-“

There is someone else in Ahsoka’s living room and it is not someone he had ever expected to see again.

“Padmé?” He whispers.

“Ota.” Ahsoka doesn’t direct the word to him, but to Padmé, and he knows somehow that Ahsoka is asking Padmé to be calm.

Padmé gets up, gives Anakin a death stare and walks out of the room.

Anakin turns to Ahsoka. “Snips, tell me I’m not going crazy, tell me that really was her,” he implores.

“Yes, it was,” Ahsoka says gently.

“Does she- does she hate me?” He asks quietly, dreading the answer.

“I don’t know, Anakin. You spent a really long time trying to kill or bring pain to a lot of people she cares about. You spent a long time trying to kill her children. She’s not exactly thrilled with you,” Ahsoka admits.

And it is another thing that makes sense even though Anakin wishes it doesn’t.

“That word, that you said to her. I’ve heard it before but I don’t know what it means.” He feels like it’s important, though he doesn’t know why.

“Ota? It means Mother, or Mom in Boona.” Ahsoka looks down at the floor. He’s heard of the language before. It’s the main one spoken after Basic on quite a few different planets, both Naboo and Shilli being one of them. He also knows it’s spoken by a lot of Twi’leks as well. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised both Ahsoka and Padmé speak it.

“Oh? You call her Mom?” Anakin inquires, surprised by this revelation.

“Yeah, she pretty much adopted me a couple years into the war. She calls me her daughter and I call her Mom,” Ahsoka explains, a small smile on her face.

Anakin smiles at this. “That’s great, Snips, really great.”

He’s glad, somehow, that they found each other without him.

They do, eventually, get around to sparring. It becomes a weekly practise, and for a while it feels exactly like it used to.

Anakin should have known it wouldn’t last.

It’s a basic move, really. He swung at her and she parried, and her blade hit the side of his face.

Naturally, it stings a little, even if training sabres don’t leave any lasting damage. After all, that was what they were used for.

He groans and grabs the side of his face. Then he brings his blade up to the middle of his face and swings.

Ahsoka screams.

At first, Anakin thinks he’s just hit her, that she’ll laugh in a second and everything will be fine.

Then she falls to the ground, her sabre losing its light and she clutches her hands to her chest.

Anakin’s instincts kick in. He feels a wave of protectiveness, desperate to help her.

“Snips?” Anakin asks hesitantly. He moves towards her, tossing his sabre to the side to show he didn’t mean any harm.

When he gets close, she screams again. He immediately steps back, hands up.

It’s then he remembers Malachor. He remembers the blows struck and how he fought. He cringes at what he had said, wondering if then you will die was ringing through her head.

He guesses the fight must have been so similar that their sparring sent her back to that place.

“Oh Snips, I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

Ahsoka is still hyperventilating, and Anakin wants more than anything to reach out and hold her. But he knows that’s not going to help her right now.

“You’re alright. You’re safe,” he says softly, though he doesn’t know if his voice will make it better or worse. But he tries anyway, because this is Ahsoka and he’d be damned if he doesn’t at least try to help her.

When she’s calm enough to stand, Anakin takes her back to her quarters. He’s somehow not surprised to see Padmé there. She moves quickly, taking Ahsoka into her arms and soothing her.

Padmé gives him such a glare that if looks could kill, he’d be dead again.

They don’t spar again.

When Queen Karee trusts him enough to send him on missions, he discovers that he will be going on one with Ahsoka.

It’s supposed to be a routine mission, stopping some smugglers from getting a shipment of slaves.

It hits a little close to home for him, but he feels like that’s why Queen Karee chose him. He knows now that it would hit close to home for her too.

It goes smoothly, until they discover quite how many smugglers are on board and quite how many blasters they have.

Anakin and Ahsoka are cornered, and while Ahsoka is desperately trying to use the force to find a way out of it, someone aims a blaster straight at her chest.

He knows she probably could deflect it, but she is so distracted that he doesn’t know if she would notice it.

He’s trying to subtly get her attention when the smuggler fires.

There is that wave of protective love once more, and Anakin puts himself between the bullet and Ahsoka.

It hits him right in the chest of course, and he knows he’s dying, but he would prefer it be him than his kid.

The thought surprises him less than he thought it would. He knew that wave of protective love was the same he felt for Luke, and for Leia, even though she hated him. He’d die for them without any hesitation, and so, it seems, he would for Ahsoka.

It makes sense, really. He had always had that love for her. He just hadn’t realised it wasn’t just normal “master-apprentice the master wants her to do well” kind of fondness.

He almost laughs that it took him twenty four years and having biological children to figure that out.

Ahsoka sees him on the ground, and there is a very big flash before all the blasters seem to stop.

Anakin decides not to wonder what Ahsoka has done to them. What matters is the smugglers can’t get the shipment.

He sees her face, which looks more angry than scared or sad. But he sees a fierceness in there too.

It’s only black for a few moments before he’s up and breathing again.

And suddenly what Queen Karee said makes sense. She hadn’t meant Luke or Leia, she had meant Ahsoka. Ahsoka was the family that had helped bring him back, that had wanted him back to life.

It appears the Queen was much more perceptive than him. This was why she hadn’t been worried when Ahsoka reacted so badly the first time she saw him. Because the Queen knew Ahsoka still wanted to be in his life, still wanted him around.

Though now, she looked furious.

“Why did you do that?” Ahsoka demands. “It would have gone right through me. I was almost done finding a solution anyway!”

“He had a blaster aimed at your chest! You would have been killed and then where would we be?!” Anakin retorts, half hurt, half confused.

Ahsoka gives him a very tired look, and walks straight through the wall and back again. “No. I wouldn’t have.”

“It was the right thing to do. I’m not just going to leave you to die!” He objects.

“You seemed perfectly content to do that on Malachor!” Ahsoka retorts and Anakin’s anger dissipates.

“I knew you’d find your way out. I knew you’d be fine.” He can’t look at her as he says it, and it is then he realises that all the smugglers have turned to stone. Comforting.

“I almost wasn’t,” Ahsoka says softly. “There was so much dark energy that I couldn’t teleport. My powers are based in the light, and that place was made of darkness. I only escaped because a member of a rebel cell I knew rescued me through a time portal.”

“I didn’t know that. I never could have killed you, Ahsoka,” Anakin tells her. It was the truth. He could never.

Ahsoka looks up at him and his heart sinks. “Not if you knew it was me, you couldn’t. But truthfully, Anakin, you’ve killed me countless times, while I was disguised. The Sisters known to be dead or known to you had to fight with their shape changed. It’s not that hard, but I couldn’t do it on Malachor.” Her image changes about twenty times before going back to herself and Anakin remembers killing the majority of them.

“Ahsoka-“ All the words he could possibly say would mean nothing and he knows it.

“I could never kill you, that was my downfall. I’d get right to the point where someone would have to strike the killing blow and I couldn’t do it. So you’d do it instead,” Ahsoka confesses.

“Ahsoka, I didn’t know-“ he began, but he knew it was no excuse.

“I know you didn’t.” She looks up at the ceiling and he sees tears in her eyes. “You know, I always hoped it would be me that brought you back to the light, that you’d chose me over Palpatine. But I guess it makes sense that it was your kid who brought you back, your son.”

He wants to tell her that she has always been a daughter to him, that he had realised it too late, that he had to have biological kids before he realised that he felt the exact same way about Ahsoka.

But this isn’t the time to tell her that, so he tells her a different truth. “You almost did.”

She looks up at him sharply. “What?”

“If it wasn’t for the influence of the dark side in that temple, I probably would have gone with you. If I wasn’t selfish and a coward, wanting the power of the dark side and not wanting to face the consequences of my actions, I would have gone with you. I very nearly did,” he confesses.

Ahsoka looks at him and this time her smile is sad. “But you didn’t.”

“I know,” Anakin says. “I’m sorry.”

She nods. “I know you are, Anakin, I know you are.”

They don’t talk about their trauma very much. They know they both have their issues and their triggers from the war.

So when Anakin walks into Ahsoka’s quarters and she’s curled up into a ball on the balcony, naturally he’s worried.

He walks up behind her, not trying to startle her too badly. “Hey Snips,” he says softly. “What’s up?”

She shook her head. “It’s gone. It’s all gone.”

“What’s gone?” He asks gently.

“I heard a noise, a bang and I can’t turn around, I can’t open my eyes, because if I do it’s all going to be gone.” Ahsoka takes a shuddering breath.

Anakin turns around and sees a pile of pots and pans on the floor in the kitchen. He assumes they must have fallen down and made an almighty crash. He doesn’t blame her for getting upset.

“It’s alright Ahsoka, look, it’s all still here.” He tries to grab her shoulder gently and pull her around but she resists so much that he leaves her there.

“No, no, no, it’s all gone.” Ahsoka’s eyes are squeezed shut and her head is pressed against the balcony fence.

“It’s not gone Ahsoka. It’s all still there, I promise you,” Anakin reassured her gently.

He tries to remember what Padmé did to comfort her. He runs his hands gently over her shoulders and her back, and pulls her close.

Ahsoka lets out a sob. “It’s gone, it’s all gone and it’s going to be so awful to try and fix everything. There’s going to be bits of people everywhere and it’s going to be horrible.” She presses her head against his chest, eyes still firmly shut.

“It’s okay Ahsoka, you’re here, you’re safe. It’s all still here. It was just some pots and pans. There was no bomb,” Anakin tells her gently but firmly.

She opens her eyes, looking up at him. “It’s all still here?”

“Look for yourself,” he says, and she does. When she sees that everything is fine, she starts crying again.

“It’s okay, you’re here, you’re safe,” he murmurs to her over and over again.

“I’m on Iith, I’m safe. I’m on Iith with my mom,” Ahsoka looks up tentatively at him. “And my dad?”

His heart melts, and he smiles, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before pulling her up against him even tighter. “Yeah kiddo, yeah you are.”

[meteor752]

So...I just watched The Rise of Skywalker

And it was...a movie

Now, if you don’t want it spoiled, then don’t click keep reading, because I will immediately start after that.

Got it?

Good

Now that that’s out of the way

THERE IS A CANON LESBIAN COUPLE IN STAR WARS AND THEY SHARED A KISS, I AM DEAD

Sorry I just had to get that out of my system

I am not a movie critic, and for the most part I just enjoy a movie unless it bores me. But I have been saying that I will do this review, and I will, so I will just go over important part by important part.

Good?

Good.

The first scene

This is, hands down, my favorite scene in the movie. The way they introduced Palpatine and that we never really see his face in the scene is really menacing, but still oddly hilarious.

I mean, the man is hanging there quoting himself. He later literally said do it!! I’m surprised he didn’t start to tell the story of Darth plagueise the wise.

Plus, the fact that Kylo doesn’t want to join Palpatine and become his apprentice, but just kill him, is really cool to me. It shows a little different side of his character, that he wants to be his own and not just the next Vader.

Also, after Palpatine saying “I created Snoke”, there’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment of a deformed looking Snoke in a cubicle, so that’s that character's backstory. He was a failed clone all along!

Poe, Finn, Chewie & the Spy

The start of this scene is just pure fluff between our dear space husbands and their mom’s, husband's dog.

The revelation of the spy was cool, but I kinda immediately guessed that it would be either Hux or Phasma.

I really liked the chase scene, plus the banter between the characters. Character interaction is a thing I love in franchises, and this movie does a good job with it

Master Leia

I LIVE FOR LEIA TRAINING REY TO BE A JEDI

The Rey training scene though was...unnecessary, dunno why it was there.

Rey’s always been a kinda on-off character for me. I like her when she’s loose and chill instead of a “badass”. In this movie...I mean she has her moments, but for the most part I didn’t want her there

C-3PO, R2-D2 & BB-8

The fact that BB-9e wasn’t in this movie is a crime

I like Threepio, like most other fans, but he’s just like always been...there for me. In this movie though, holy shit did he shine!

To be quite honest, he was probably one of my favorite characters in it, just because he kept that lightheartedness in an otherwise angsty movie, with some occasional fluff.

What I really like about him is that they made this his movie! Artoo and BB-8 were barely in it, and when they were they didn’t do much, so Threepio could really shine! Literally, he’s made of gold. The latest eight movies he’s basically been bullied by every character on screen, no one really seems to like him (Poe did it in this movie, so it’s still a thing) but they gave him a lot of screentime and I like that!

I don’t like BB-8. He’s mostly there to sell toys, and I get that that’s what Star Wars is all about these days, but don’t make it obvious!! Cough, cough PORG!!!!

Artoo was underused as kriff in this movie. He did basically nothing, despite being one of the franchises most popular characters. My favorite moment in the movie however is when Wiped Threepio And Artoo reunite, and he actually sound HURT when Threepio doesn’t recognize him!! He calls him his best friend okay!?!?

Lando

!!!!

His introduction was so fricking cute! Chewie just went to hug him instantly, because that poor fluffy boy has lost enough!!

Threepio going to explain who he is, and Rey just going “We know who he is!” Is so heartwarming, like he’s a war hero! People idolize him that’s so cute!!!

Knights of Ren

Will get more into them in another section, but look really cool but really underused

Stormpilot, Jedipilot, Stormjedi & Stormjedipilot

Let’s get this over with

All three of the first ships are evident in this movie.

Rey and Poe arguing about BB-8 and The Falcon at the start of the movie...is basically all we get for Jedipilot but what’d you expect?

Poe making Finn general, their banter throughout the movie, the little very unnecessary fight they had, the reunion at the end of the movie-

THIS

Rey: So what were you going to tell me?

Finn: We’ll take it later

Poe: What, you mean when Poe’s not here?

YOU JEALOUS BRO???

Finn wanting to tell Rey something was most likely confessing some feeling for her, but then they survived and yeah, and it was fucking dropped?! Did JJ just forget about that???

Plus, I’ve never noticed this before, but Finn yells Rey’s name a lot.

The reunion hug between the three of them at the end of the movie is what kinda made me like Stormjedipilot. Poe and Rey holding their hands over Finn’s back while he buries his head into their shoulders, like yeah I like that.

Chewie’s “death”

I, to be honest, kinda wanted Chewbacca to die a little here. It would have made Kylo’s turn so much more compelling.

So it is my personal headcanon that Kylo did not know that Chewie wasn’t on that ship, and for a few minutes he actually thought that he, Uncle Chewie, had died. Because I couldn’t be the only one who saw a bit of pain on his face.

Kijimi

I first did not like Zorii, mostly because I thought she and Poe would have had a “relationship”.

Though, when Rey held a lightsaber against her throat, and she just impressively said “Not that it matters, but I like you.”

Gal, you GAAAAY

And also that twice, twice, Poe asks if they should kiss and she dismisses both tries, that I like. Good job movie, god job.

During the raid, you can hear female Stormtroopers, and I think that’s really cool. We’re in movie nine and first now does there exist female Stormtroopers that isn’t Phasma!!

Threepio’s wipe is sad and I liked it, but I feel that they made it a little too sad, considering it was afterwards mostly played as a joke and then they gave him his memories back

Hux the spy

Again, Chewie should have remained dead, but whatever.

I have no problem with Hux as the spy, I was just sitting in the theater mumbling ‘Fulcrum’ while my brother was looking at me weirdly, but what I don’t like is what they did with it.

For Hux just to be shot by some General we’ve never met before is just the equivalent of a letdown, especially since so many people like his characters. Including me, he’s one of the best parts of the Sequels!!

Rey Palpatine

Just so everyone knows, I saw this coming. I mean sure, I still liked the Qui’ra theory more, but when Palps started talking about how he knew who the girl was, then I was just like okay she’s a Palpatine.

What I don’t like is how they don’t talk at all of how this came to be. Like, I don’t even know which one of Rey’s parents who’s Palps child. Who the hell did he fuck?!?!

So yeah, whatever twist, bad execution.

Endor’s Stormtroopers

THIS SCENE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY I DON’T LIKE REY

They often do this in movies. Heroes have to do something, they can’t do anything at that moment so they have to wait, main Hero does it anyways.

IT’S ANNOYING AS HELL

Finn and the Ex Stormtrooper I can't remember the name of’s bonding moment was cute, but I just kept thinking to myself “Are they siblings? Because it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened,”

Finn getting mad at Poe is weird as shit and I don’t like it.

Dark Rey vs Rey

Huge letdown didn’t like it next

Rey vs Kylo, final battle

It was...fine, I guess. I like that Rey fucking stabbed him, that was cool.

Leia dying to redeem Kylo was dumb! I get that they needed to kill her off in a natural way and not just off-screen but come on!

Plus, if you would ask me, Kylo didn’t need a redemption arc. I think he should have died. As a bad guy.

Han Solo And Lightsaber Toss

Han Solo talking to Kylo was cool, though how does it work?? Was it a vision? Luke manipulations the force? Kylo only saw what he wanted to see?

That Kylo just tossed his lightsaber was symbolic and stuff, but a really stupid decision from his part. How are you gonna protect yourself now, huh? THE FORCE?!?!

Rey going into Exile

THIS SCENE WAS FUNNY AS SHIT!!

Just, Rey, thinking that every Jedi goes into exile, when they don’t feel like dealing with it anymore, and she’s fucking right!!! Yoda, Obi-Wan And Luke would be proud!!!!

Luke’s force ghost also has nearly identical hair to Anakin, which is adorable. Dunno how many that noticed that, since the people I’ve talked with about the movie didn’t, but that was literally all I could think about.

Knight Leia

When Rey picked up her lightsaber, my brother beside me was like “That’s Luke’s green one!” And I got mad because that’s not his lightsaber design at all. Know your facts bro!

That Leia was a Jedi is understandable, I mean was Luke not going to train her? But I’ve always seen her that she could use the force, but didn’t use a lightsaber because she’s badass.

I kinda also wanted her blade to be purple? I think it would have fit her much better, as she is probably the most balanced Jedi we’ve had for a while and she’s got a lot of anger that little Skywalker, but blue works fine I guess. Better than green.

Star Wars Endgame

I liked this scene, it was cool, Artoo got something to do, and Finn and Rose riding those horse thingies is an inside joke between those two at this point, convince me otherwise.

Lando And Chewie arriving though, and the First Order stating that they are “just people”, was really beautiful. Cool scene all and all.

Rey and Palpatine

Palps is still quoting himself! He fucking said “Do It” JJ knows what’s up!!

One thing that I’ve been trying to figure out since I saw the movie was what the hell was Palps’ goal? He said for Rey to strike him down (Said the same to Luke, is he suicidal??) and then he would become? Apart? Of her? What?

I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make any sense.

Kylo vs Knights of Ren

So these are Kylo’s guys, right? His inquisitors, per say.

Except these used to be Jedi, his clanmates, his friends.

So why the kriff did they all turn against him like that?? AND WHY DID HE JUST FIGHT THEM BLINDLY DUDE THESE WERE YOUR FRIENDS!!

If I could have changed anything in this movie that has nothing to do with ships, then it would be that at least ONE of the knights would have supported Kylo and not just blindly turned against him.

Though I must say, Rey giving Kylo Luke’s lightsaber through their bond, was pretty badass.

Palpatine steals Kylo and Rey’s bond

The. Fuck.

WHAT KIND OF FORCE POWER IS THAT?!?!

IF YOU CAN JUST STEAL A JEDI’S FORCE BOND, WHY DIDN’T YOU DO THAT WITH ANAKIN AND OBI-WAN PALPS?!?!? HUH?!?!?!

But for real, stupid decision, could have gone without it.

Jedi Rey vs Sith Palps

It was cool, a cool moment, I sat excitedly and whispered to my brother all the voices I recognized, I think Ahsoka could be heard??

...

I looked it up and yeah her voice is there, which means that she’s dead R.I.P Snips.

One of the better scenes of the movie, though I think it’s cheating because of nostalgia and love for these characters.

(I LOOKED UP WHICH THE VOICES WERE, AND WE’VE GOT FRICKING AAYLA SECURA, LUMINARA UNDULI, ADI GALLIA AND KANAN JARRUS!!!)

Reylo

*Sigh*

Ya know, I really hoped this wouldn’t happen. I almost wanted to skip this, and really make all the Reylo fans mad.

But I have to talk about this.

This kiss, should not have happened.

Now if you are a Reylo shipper, that’s good for you, I ship way stranger things than that, but to actually make it canon?!?!

Kylo having a crush or something for Rey? Sure, I can understand that’s he’s pretty much obsessed at this point. But for Rey, badass Rey who is pretty lesbian, to have feelings for Kylo? THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP PEOPLE!!

And that they made a toxic relationship canon, but not a gay one, really says something about Star Wars doesn’t it.

Death of Kylo

I laughed out loud during this scene. Not joking, people around me were annoyed. And that his clothes didn’t disappear? Is Kylo a naked force ghost? Did he do that for Rey?

Wait

Don’t answer.

Happy Rebels

The Lesbian couple that kissed was obviously queerbaiting, and you should never praise that, but that is probably all we will get Gays, so let’s just take it and cry on the inside.

Is that Stormtrooper gal Lando’s daughter? Because my brother whispered that to me, and I got those vibes too. Or is she way older than what she looks like and we were supposed to see her as a love interest?

The hug was cute.

Rey Skywalker

I will never accept this as canon ever.

To see the moisture farm again was nice, I liked that.

And for Rey to finally have her own lightsaber, and a yellow one too (I read a fanfic where she had a yellow one, was that like pre-seen??).

But the Skywalker thing...eh.

I would have found it cute if she’d said Rey Palpatine, as if she’d embraced her origin and decided that the name Palpatine isn’t just to be afflicted with the emperor, but also with her, the last Jedi.

Also, did she go into exile? Because damn, those Jedi do that a lot!

All in all, I liked this movie! I wasn’t bored a single bit while watching it, as there was always something going on, and I like when that happens. I don’t think that had happened since Empire with a Star Wars movie.

It isn’t in my top three, but it’s up there, and better than The Last Jedi.

Though I must say, they did take some things from Return of the Jedi and put it in this movie, specifically the ending.

Though I must say, and don’t hate me for this, it was better than Return of the Jedi okay bye

[azems-familiar]

Hi, hope you don't mind more prompts: nr 2 "none of this is your fault". Thanks!

this got, long, so have 1645 of kinda angsty post Order 66 fun and reunions!

It’s been a little over a year since the day his life shattered.

Since the day the war ended, the day he thought, for just a moment, that maybe- Maybe there could be a future outside the endless fighting and the loss and the pain, that maybe he could take the chance he’d always held himself somewhat back from. Grievous was dead, Dooku dead, and the look on- on Cody’s face as he handed Obi-Wan his lightsaber back was something warm and fond and tender, and he’d thought-

Well. He supposes it doesn’t matter what he’d thought, anymore, now does it?

Life on Tatooine is quiet, a far cry from the peace of the Temple before the war, or the frenetic pace of the Clone War, dashing back and forth across the galaxy. Too quiet, sometimes; all he has for company are his ghosts, most days, or Owen and Beru, on the rare times they let him see Luke or he needs help with his vaporators. From Anakin to Qui-Gon, the memories are all there, taunting him every time he closes his eyes.

Train him.

I hate you!

There is still good left in him…

And of course, the worst one, in some ways: starting up the cliffside of the Pau City sinkhole, feeling a shout of warning in the Force, and then the cannons firing - feeling the way his men’s Force signatures suddenly warped, twisted into something unfamiliar and heavy and wrong, wrong, wrong, and then falling, and then-

In any case, he almost wishes for something to keep him occupied, to keep his mind off the still-aching emptiness of the Force and the way he still sometimes glances over his shoulder to say something to Anakin, or Cody - that’s the primary reason he’d started investigating Jabba’s movements and going after his supply shipments. Part of it, of course, had been he could never let himself sit idly by and let the slavery and the stealing and the corruption go on, but if he’s honest with himself - which he’s never been too good at, he supposes - he’d needed the distraction from everything and everyone he’d failed.

Ahsoka contacts him, occasionally - he knows she’s working with Bail to form a rebellion. She’s been trying to get him to join, but he can’t leave Luke alone. Besides, Ahsoka is a strong young woman; he has faith in her abilities.

The comms can be frustrating, though, especially on a day like today, when the endless sands and the burning suns seem to have sucked the life out of him - he doesn’t have the energy to argue with her again.

“Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka says, when he answers the comm.

He sighs, rubs at his forehead. “Ahsoka, I’m not in the mood,” he says, before she can get anything else out.

“This isn’t about rebelling,” she says. “I’ve… found something of yours, I’m bringing it to Tatooine.”

He chuckles, though it feels not-quite-forced. “What, did you land on one of the multiple planets I left a cloak behind on? That’s hardly important enough to warrant the trip.”

“Something like that,” Ahsoka says, evasive.

He knows her well enough to know she’s hiding something; today, he’s too tired to probe. “Alright, then,” he says. “I’ll be here. Please don’t let the Empire know.”

“Trust me, Obi-Wan, I’m better than that,” she says.

He doesn’t tell her that’s what Anakin always said, right before getting them into some terrible mess. The wound is still too fresh, and in any case, she’d know that.

The comm cuts off and he sighs, rubs at his temples. What in the galaxy could she have found that’d warrant a visit all the way to this wretched hellhole?

If it really is one of his cloaks, he’ll-

Oh, what’s the point anymore?

He almost doesn’t bother to clean up the hut, although he manages to sweep out some of the sand (it’s impossible to keep it out, he’s tried everything) and organize the small stack of holonovels and the two precious holocrons he’d managed to save from the Archives. It helps keep him busy, anyway, and after a while he goes out to check on the vaporators, and he waits.

He’s been doing nothing but waiting, it seems like, these days.

Ahsoka’s ship lands on a dune nearby his hut, late evening, as the twin suns are slowly sinking into the western sky, turning everything blood red and warm gold and streaked with violet; Obi-Wan steps through his door and paces a couple meters from the hut, squints a bit against the setting suns.

There’s three figures walking towards him, silhouetted against the sky. Ahsoka is one of them, her montrals are distinctive, and he thinks the two others are clones - one’s likely Rex, the other another vod they must’ve gotten out. Good, that’s good, although it means he should’ve put more effort into seeming… normal.

As though there’s anything normal about this, a Jedi Master living in hiding on one of the least-liked planets in the galaxy, an absolute hive of scum and villainy, trying to evade his own men and his own padawan.

One of the two clone-figures freezes in place on top of the nearest dune, and Obi-Wan frowns, narrows his eyes, notes the other (who must be Rex - it’s not like Rex would be surprised by Obi-Wan’s appearance) taking the first clone’s arm. He watches them a moment, then shakes himself, turns back to Ahsoka, who’s nearly to him, crosses the last of the distance himself and sighs. “Ahsoka, what’s this about me losing something?”

Ahsoka just smiles (damn it, but he’s fairly certain she picked that trick up from him) and nods a bit back at the two figures making their slow way down the face of the dune, and in that moment, the light shifts and he’s finally able to make out their faces.

Thick dark hair, longer than he remembers, falling into amber eyes colored with apprehension and shame, a scar curling around his left eye.

Cody.

Obi-Wan doesn’t entirely realize he’s moving until he stops in front of his Commander, who hasn’t moved a muscle since their eyes met, is not-quite-shaking, the last golden-red rays of sunlight melting over his face and setting him ablaze. “Cody,” he says, soft, too soft, lifts one hand to ever-so-lightly skim across Cody’s scar.

“Sir-” Cody’s voice is strangled, and he tilts his head into Obi-Wan’s hand, seemingly unable to hold still. “Sir, I didn’t mean- I’m sorry,” and his voice cracks and shatters, tears welling up brightly-crystalline in his eyes.

“Oh, Cody,” Obi-Wan says, and pulls his Commander into a hug. Cody buries his face in Obi-Wan’s shoulder, and Obi tilts his head so he can tuck his nose into Cody’s hair, letting out a breath it seems like he’s been holding since his world came crashing down. “None of this is your fault, my dear.”

Even when he feels Cody’s shoulders shake beneath his arms, it still takes Obi-Wan a moment to realize his Commander is crying.

He’s only ever seen Cody cry once.

(It’s a long, somber hyperspace trip back to Coruscant from the mess that was Umbara; Scratch and half his medical team are on board the Resolute, tending to saber wounds and exhausted troopers, leaving only a skeleton team in the medbay. At first, Obi-Wan thinks that’s where he’ll find Cody, checking in on their injured, but to his surprise the medbay is quiet, the lights dimmed to night-cycle brightness. Cody’s not in the barracks, either, which is where he should be, sleeping off their latest battle - nor is he in the mess, where they meet late at night when nightmares get to be too much and neither of them can stand to be alone with their thoughts.

He finds his Commander standing at one of the massive bay windows facing out into space, staring at the blue glow of hyperspace, casting his features in an otherworldly light. He’s whispering, under his breath, lips barely moving, and although he can’t hear the words Obi-Wan thinks he knows what’s being said.

“Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc,” Obi-Wan says, soft, stepping up beside Cody’s shoulder. “Ni partayli, gar darasuum.”

Cody twitches slightly at the Mando’a, turns his head to look at Obi-Wan, and only then does Obi-Wan see the tears on his cheeks.

“Waxer,” Obi-Wan says, and Cody nods.

He tugs his Commander into his arms and lets Cody cry on his shoulder, and after a while shifts him so they’re sitting, back against the wall, the blue of hyperspace turning everything blue, like his lightsaber, like grief, like the paint on all those broken bodies. Eventually Cody’s tears peter off and his Commander dozes off, head on Obi-Wan’s shoulder; he sits in the silence and watches Cody breathe and tries not to feel helpless.)

“It’s going to be alright, Cody,” Obi-Wan says, pulling himself to the present with an effort, and kisses the top of Cody’s head. “I’ve got you.”

Obi-Wan tilts his head to one side, just a bit, and Rex catches his eye, hands quickly sketching out a message in the old GAR sign language: we’ll wait on the ship. He nods once in acknowledgement, tugs on Cody’s shoulder just a bit, says, quietly, “Why don’t we go inside? Rex and Ahsoka will join us in a bit.”

“Okay,” Cody says, raspy and hoarse, pulling back completely and shifting as though he intends to fall into parade rest.

That won’t do at all.

Obi-Wan tucks an arm around Cody’s shoulder, pulls his Commander against his side, and turns and starts for his hut. “Come on, cyar’ika,” he says, lightly, the endearment slipping out almost without his notice. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Cody nods, hesitantly slips his own arm around Obi-Wan’s waist, and Obi-Wan smiles and hopes that for once, he won’t have to let go.

[lj-writes]

How Finn and Rey saved each other again in The Last Jedi

Or: How TLJ is RotS averted far more than RotJ subverted

At the end of The Force Awakens we watched Finn and Rey both stand up to Kylo Ren for each other, effectively saving each other and themselves from the Master of the Knights of Ren. When Rey was knocked out Finn took up the lightsaber; when Finn was injured, Rey woke up to his screams and snatched the lightsaber from Ren to defend Finn and herself.

This dynamic takes place again in the climax of The Last Jedi, except Finn and Rey were not in the same scene like they were during the dueling sequence in TFA. in TLJ, though kept apart until their heartwarming reunion hug, they saved each other through the choices they made and what each meant to the other.

The A-plot of TLJ has been called a subversion of Return of the Jedi, for good reason. Rey attempts to bring Kylo Ren back to the light in scenes that are some very direct callbacks to Luke and Vader in RotJ, except Kylo Ren, unlike Vader, refuses Rey’s plea and rises to the position of Big Bad instead.

TLJ is only primarily a subversion of RotJ if you focus on Rey and Ren, however. If you broaden the focus to Rey, Finn, and Ren and the dynamics between them, it is the tragic ending of Revenge of the Sith averted.

In fact, seeing TLJ as RotS averted subverts the very idea that Kylo Ren was ever Anakin to Rey’s Luke: Rather he is Palpatine, and Finn and Rey parallel Padmé and Anakin respectively, except they each avoided destruction and enslavement. Rey, in no small part due to Ren’s manipulation, saw him as a tortured soul who could be redeemed. In fact he was a master manipulator who was drawing her in for his own gain.

Rey’s lack of genre savviness, based on a mistaken character reading, almost led to her meeting Anakin’s fate as the subservient apprentice to an abusive master. Instead, she was able to avoid it because of the love between her and Finn. In turn, Finn and the Resistance avoided destruction in part because Rey did not turn on Finn as Kylo wanted and as Anakin turned on Padmé.

The similarities between Finn/Padmé and Rey/Anakin, and also their story together, have been commented on enough times, recently in posts like @jewishcomeradebot’s (link with my addition). What I have not seen discussed is the similarities of their dynamics to Kylo Ren/Palpatine, the man who manipulated a powerful younger Force user under the guise of friendship only to use them to grasp l power, and tried to take his rival out of the picture for good.

Put simply, Finn is Ren’s opponent and rival, much as Padmé was Palpatine’s opponent and rival. They share a common background and know each other, have opposing convictions and goals, and work against each other. Rey on the other hand, is someone Ren wants to turn and make his apprentice, much as Anakin was targeted and groomed by Palpatine. The tragedy in RotS was that Palpatine achieved his goal of defeating Padmé and making Anakin his apprentice. The happy ending in TLJ is that Finn and Rey escaped that fate.

How did Finn and Rey avoid the tragedy that was Padmé and Anakin’s story? On Rey’s side, it was because she knew Kylo Ren was full of bantha poo-doo (and also was poo-doo himself) when he told her she was nothing except to him. She had incontrovertible proof that this wasn’t true, no matter how he might twist the knife in the wound of her abandonment, no matter how alone and desperate she felt by his design.

She knew because Finn had come back for her to Starkiller Base. He had returned to the very heart of the nightmares that he was ready to flee to the ends of the galaxy to run from, and he very nearly paid the ultimate price for it--for her. She knew that Han had thought of her as a daughter and that Leia and the Resistance loved her. The love she had been filled up with since she left Jakku, with Finn and his sacrifice for her at the center of it all, anchored her and prevented her from being swept onto the shoals of Kylo Ren’s deceit.

On Finn’s side, he avoided total defeat and death in large part due to Rose’s and later Luke’s intervention, but even their help would have meant little in the long run if Rey had turned against him and the Resistance as Anakin had turned against Padmé and all she stood for. Where Anakin and later Kylo himself had committed mass murders at their masters’ behest, Rey refused to stand by and let her friends be slaughtered and joined forces with them. Where Palpatine had triumphed by turning Anakin against Padmé, Rey was steadfast in her loyalty to Finn, and Kylo failed to tear their bond apart. Their love proved stronger than his violence in TFA and his wiles in TLJ.

The culmination of TLJ, then, repeats that of TFA with Finn and Rey saving each other through the strength of their love. The duels in TFA were just between Finn, Rey, and Kylo with a personal, even claustrophobic feel. Only Finn’s life and Rey’s freedom were in suspense since the destruction of Starkiller Base was already imminent. In TLJ the stakes are even larger, with more people involved and the future of the Resistance--and by extension, the galaxy--in the balance.

Incidentally, seeing TLJ as RotS averted and Ren as a so-far unsuccessful Palpatine means there is no need for Ren to have an understandable motivation. As @jewishcomeradebot has pointed out (link), Vader’s motivation for falling to the Dark Side is completely opaque in the OT. Luke, the actual protagonist, had no reason to know or care about Vader’s reasons. I would like to add that the PT explored Anakin’s internal life, but that was because Anakin was the protagonist of that series. Kylo Ren is not a protagonist, he has been and remains the main antagonist. The motivation behind his fall is irrelevant to Finn and Rey. It may be that there is no reason other than his belief that he is superior to others and is entitled to power, much like Palpatine.

Where does Finn and Rey’s story go from here? With the pretension of TLJ being the new RotJ dispensed with and the tragedy of RotS avoided for the moment, SW is on entirely new ground. The ends of both preceding trilogies were teased but subverted or averted. There is no precedent to guide us now.

One constant in the ST, however, is the strength of the bond between Finn and Rey. Both the ST movies so far ended with that bond both reaffirmed and acting as a powerful force (maybe even Force) for good in the lives of our protagonists and the ongoing war. To carry this motif forward Finn and Rey’s love could be tested even more, with still larger stakes--the outcome of the entire war.

On Rey’s side, one interesting dilemma would be whether she can accept the risk of losing Finn in order to honor his conviction. This was a test that Anakin had failed in regard to Padmé, to both their destruction. Rather than stand with Padmé Anakin turned against everything she believed in, and the desire to control her to avoid losing her overwhelmed his love for her. We know that Rey, like Anakin, wanted nothing more than a sense of belonging and attachment and she found that with Finn. Now that Finn, like Padmé before him, found a cause bigger than the two of them, can Rey honor that cause even if it might mean she cannot be with the only person who came back for her? What is love? is it holding on to the beloved no matter what? Or does it lie in accepting change if it may come, and accepting the beloved’s free will even if it means parting with them?

On Finn’s side, his story has been about freedom and the ever-expanding awareness that he cannot be free by himself. From the first he needed another person, Poe, to escape the First Order. After losing Poe he sought freedom for himself as he continued running, unexpectedly picking up a comrade that he became more and more attached to. This attachment grew to the extent that it overrode his original goal--he found that his individual freedom meant little if Rey was suffering. Then, in late TFA and TLJ, the Resistance and a larger awareness of the galaxy were enfolded in his circle. In the next movie the galaxy itself, including possibly the Stormtroopers in forced servitude, is likely to be included in his fight.

With his circle of moral obligation expanding so much, can Finn remember to think about himself and his closest relationships? This was something actively discouraged in him in the First Order as selfish and inconsequential, and after his arc in TLJ his earlier conditioning may lead to his falling into the same habit of self-effacement, though for an opposing cause. Is it selfish to think of his beloved when the universe is at stake? Can he bring himself to think he deserves to love and to be loved? Does true freedom exclude considerations of love, or is freedom only complete with love? Rose gave one answer at the end of TLJ, that freedom can only be won through love, and certainly Rey avoiding servitude through love is a case for that assertion as well. This conclusion is likely to be tested, though, as the fight intensifies and the demands of the war grow harsher.

Where Rey’s continuing story seems to be about the nature of love with implications for freedom, Finn’s appears to be about the nature of freedom with implications for love. Resolving this continuing arc will hopefully lead to a satisfactory conclusion of the sequel trilogy and the story of Finn and Rey.

(For @finnreyfridays )

[fialleril]

Hi! It's my birthday and I am full of Shmi Skywalker feels. I am absolutely fascinated by her role in Anabasis. Is there any snippet you'd be willing to share featuring her? If not, can you just spec about what she would be like as a mother-in-law/grandma? Feel free to ignore, of course, it's just that content with her is so sparse, especially with her actually alive.

Hi, anon! And happy birthday!

Although Shmi is a pretty important character in Anabasis, all of the bits I have written with her so far are...pretty bleak, tbh. At this point in the story, Anakin kind of hates her (because she sent him with Palpatine as a child, believing Palpatine to be a Jedi). It’s awful. I promise that they will reconcile and eventually have a very good relationship, but all of the snippets I could share right now would basically be nothing but pain.

I do, however, have a number of happier Shmi snippets from the Jedi Reformation AU to offer, if that interests you? I’m gonna take a risk and assume it does, so here’s the reunion scene between Anakin and Shmi in this universe’s version of AOTC. (With a bonus introduction to Theed’s Little Tatooine district, and some extra Threepio feels on the side.)

Padmé is eager to go home, but their first stop on landingis a visit with Queen Jamillia, who expresses her dismay at the threats againstPadmé, and offers her the use of the Varykino lake retreat for the duration ofher time in hiding, if she wants it. Padmé thanks her, but she hasn’t fullydecided yet. Varykino would certainly be more secure, but it’s also more remotefrom communication with Coruscant. And there’s so much she wants to do here inTheed.

And it seems that, during their three days of travel whenthey were on radio silence, another transport from Tatooine has arrived.Jamillia is watching Anakin closely as she tells them about it, and then sheadds, “There probably won’t be anyone looking for the Senator from Naboo in LittleTatooine.”

Anakin’s entire face lights up like he’s never wantedanything so desperately in his life, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, heturns to her.

Here’s something that hasn’t changed, at least, Padméthinks. She never could resist that hopeful look of his.

Little Tatooine is a rapidly growing enclave in the heart ofTheed. The buildings here are old, intricate and graceful constructions ofstone, the streets still cobbled and dotted with countless fountains andgardens and historical markers of Naboo’s past.

The architecture is purely Naboo, but everything else isTatooine. The air is rich with the warm, spicy smells of amee and laara andpikot. Woven tapestries in deep reds and browns, blacks and tans hang frombalconies and windows. Vendors fill the streets, offering Tatooine staples andNaboo produce cooked Tatooine style, along with the specialties of a dozenother worlds.

Anakin stops and stares, and Padmé stops to watch him.There’s an unadulterated wonder in his face that makes something in her ache.

“This is – Padmé, this is amazing,” he breathes. “I’ve readyour descriptions, but this – it feels like –” He doesn’t say home, but hedoesn’t need to.

He’s gazing rapidly from side to side, even turning in placeto take everything in, like a child on his first trip to the market, and he’sbeaming as bright as the twin suns. Padmé’s visited Little Tatooine herself manytimes before, but everything feels new and exhilarating seen through Anakin’seyes.

Artoo seems every bit as excited, spinning in circles aroundAni’s legs and trilling out a string of binary too fast for Padmé to catch allof it. Anakin laughs in response, though Padmé can’t tell if he understoodeverything himself or if he’s just happy.

It’s good to see him happy.

She watches as his eyes flick back and forth between her andone of the food stalls, and she just manages to hold back a laugh when heblushes and stutters, “Can we –”

“Lunch sounds amazing, actually,” she says, taking pity onhim. “But not here. I know the best place in Little Tatooine. Come on.”

He looks bemused, but he follows her without question,through the market district with all its wonderful smells, through a park witha small pond, into what’s clearly a residential neighborhood. Now he looksdownright puzzled, but he doesn’t say anything until they stop in front of asmall stone house with a red wooden door.

“Padmé, what –” he begins, but at that moment the door opensand a woman steps out, followed by a young man.

Anakin’s face goes still. “Mom,” he breathes.

Shmi lets out a soft cry. “Ani!” she says, and then they’vecrossed the few short steps separating them, and Anakin’s forehead is pressedagainst his mother’s, their eyes closed, speaking secret words in a soft litanynot meant for anyone else.

Padmé steps to one side, letting them have a private moment,and catches Kitster’s eye. He shoots her a wide grin and mouths, “Thank you.”

Shmi pulls back and eyes her child critically. “You’re allgrown up, Ani,” she says, and if there’s something wistful in her voice, itdoesn’t show in her smile. “Look at you. You’ve gotten so tall!”

Anakin groans. “Everyone keeps saying that,” he mutters, buthe’s still smiling.

“Well, I for one feel cheated,” Kitster says, steppingforward for a hug of his own. “I distinctly remember us agreeing that I wasgoing to be the tall one.”

Padmé and Shmi exchange a laughing glance. Kitster can’t beany more than a few centimeters shorter than Ani.

Shmi invites them all in for lunch. Artoo follows afterPadmé, until he spots Threepio studying a datapad and speeds across the room toblurt something horribly rude at the protocol droid. Anakin follows rapidlyafter him, grinning and exclaiming, “Threepio! You look amazing!”

That at least distracts Threepio from Artoo’s ongoinginvective, and he turns to preen at Anakin. “Oh, the Maker!” he says.“Goodness, Artoo, you didn’t tell me you were travelling with Ani. And MissPadmé! I am delighted to see you again!”

Padmé watches as Anakin’s smile fades in surprise, and thenreturns a hundredfold. “Threepio?” he says, beaming, and then turns to Shmi.“Mom, you did it! You did it!”

“Did what, Ani?” Threepio asks.

Anakin laughs in delight, grabbing Threepio by the arms andspinning him around while the droid exclaims, “Goodness me!” and Artoo trillsin fond derision.

“You didn’t call me Master,” Anakin says, still grinninglike he’s received the best present imaginable. “Mom fixed your programming!”He steps back and gives Threepio a quick once over. “And you’ve got coveringsnow. Very stylish.”

“Oh, thank you!” Threepio says, sounding distinctly pleased.“They are rather nice, aren’t they?”

Artoo lets out a derisive-sounding blatt, and Threepio turnson him in affront. “Well, I never! How very rude!”

Artoo’s answer sounds very much like a snicker.

“I most certainly do not!” Threepio huffs as Artoo beginswheeling away. “Get back here, you bucket of bolts!”

Shmi looks as resigned as Padmé feels, but Anakin giggles asthe two droids disappear into a back room, apparently to continue theirargument in peace.

Shmi serves her famed tarmish, and Ani consumes it like he’snever tasted food before. They all laugh at him, but he just grimaces and says,“If you’d ever experienced the Temple refectory, you’d understand.” Shmi giveshim a wry smile and another helping.

She’s just returned to Naboo herself only yesterday,bringing with her another eighteen people from Mos Espa. There’s a fresh redscar across her left forearm, hidden by her sleeve until she insists on washingthe dishes. “Mom,” Ani breathes, catching at her hand, and Shmi places herright hand over his and whispers, “Hush, akku.”Padmé slips quietly out of the kitchen.

When the dishes are done, they really talk.

Padmé’s never been able to determine if heavy conversationover a meal is a taboo in Tatooine society, or simply something Shmi discourages,but when the tzai is served, when everyone becomes family in the sharing of thedrink, then there are no taboos.

“There was a bounty hunter,” Shmi says, and Padmé thinks ofexplosions and venomous creatures in the night, and Cordé lying twisted up onthe duracrete. “One of the Hutts’ people. Beru took care of it, and we didn’t loseanyone.”

Anakin’s jaw is tight as he says, “That’s good.”

Beru and her boyfriend Owen aren’t there right now. Owen hada scare with the bounty hunter and he’s finally managed to drag Beru off on avacation to the lake country like he’s been threatening for months, Kitstersays, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “They’ll probably come back married,”he says with a grin.

“If they do, I hope we’ll still be on planet,” Anakin says,shooting an almost shy glance at Padmé. “I’d like to actually meet my sisterand her husband.”

“How are you here,Ani?” Shmi asks. “Have the Jedi changed their minds about visiting?”

“Have the Hutts declared universal emancipation?” Anakinsays with a snort, and then looks startled and a little embarrassed at theimmediacy of his reaction. But he doesn’t apologize. “No. I’m on assignment,actually. I’m…not sure how long it will last.”

He’s pointedly not looking at Padmé, and she appreciates hisattempt at discretion, but it isn’t needed here. Not with Shmi and Kitster.“He’s my bodyguard,” she says.

Kitster lets out a low whistle. Shmi leans forward inconcern. “The Hutts?” she asks.

“We don’t know,” Padmé says, almost at the same time thatAnakin says, “Obi-Wan is investigating.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Kitster says, verydeliberately, “You missed my graduation, Ani.”

“I know,” Anakin says. “You’d better have holos.”

There are holos, and quite a lot of them. Shmi insists onshowing them all, even the ones Kitster would plainly rather not have Anakinsee. The Kitster in the holos is dressed in the formal regalia of a Queen’sPoet, the highest distinction conferred in the dramatic arts. And there’s alovely dark-skinned woman with a thick cloud of dark hair standing beside himin most of the images and beaming widely.

“So,” says Anakin, his eyebrows waggling in an obviousimitation of Kitster himself. “Who’s this?”

Kitster gives him a scowl that’s somehow still a smile. “Hername’s Imer Moonspinner, and don’t you start.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Anakin snickers. Kitster is in formonths of teasing and he clearly knows it.

“I see you haven’tgraduated yet,” Kitster says, giving Anakin’s padawan braid a laughing tug. Butthen his face goes oddly serious as he says, “Still got the dep, huh?”

“Still got the dep,”Anakin says, and for once Padmé can’t read his expression at all.

Later, after they’ve left Shmi’s house and are heading forPadmé’s family home, she asks him what that word means.

He looks away and mutters to the cobblestones, “It means achain.”

Dep, Padmé thinks.The root of depur. Master.

“Does it bother you?” she asks in a whisper of her own.“Calling the Jedi ‘master,’ I mean.”

Anakin hesitates for a moment. Then he says, “It’s not thesame. Master means something different, for the Jedi.”

“That’s not really an answer,” Padmé says.

He looks up and offers her a smile she can’t decipher. “It’sa Jedi answer,” he says.

*

Owen and Beru do indeed come back married. You can read that snippet, complete with Shmi presiding over a Tatooine marriage celebration, here.

[winterskywrites]

Regular Reinvented love, Padme (and maybe Anakin) find Obi-Wan’s lack of knowledge about his birth family disturbing. Surely someone in his bio family must have seen the couple’s wonderful partner on the holonet and want to meet their family member. Obi-Wan just has a bad feeling about this... too bad his feeling was right. (Family snafu)

I apologize for how long this took. This can really only be loosely defined as a “snafu” (it’s more of an awkward family reunion), but on the plus side it’s pretty long! This takes place a while into the future of the Reinvent Love ‘verse; it’s been about four years since the events of Melt Your Headaches, Call It Home.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.”

“If we’re encouraging our students to keep in contact with their families, we should do it too,” Anakin says firmly. “I can’t, but you can.”

Obi-Wan crosses his arms tightly over his chest. “It’s a bit late to keep in touch. They haven’t seen me for over forty years.”

“Imagine if you hadn’t seen Luke and Leia for forty years,” Padmé says. “Would you still want to see them again?”

“You know I would,” Obi-Wan replies, sounding irritated.

“So your parents will want to see you,” Padmé states. “Anyway, we’re nearly here. It’s a bit late to turn around now.”

“I’ve never been to Stewjon before,” Anakin says, looking out the window of the ship. “It looks like a nice place.”

“It’s a small planet,” Obi-Wan says. “It’s not even part of the Senate. They may be… overwhelmed at having the Empress here.”

“We’re not coming here in any official capacity,” Padmé says. “You’re coming here because this is where your parents live, and Anakin and I are coming with you because we love you.”

“Anyway, we did send a message ahead,” Anakin adds. “So they’ve had some time to prepare.”

Obi-Wan huffs a little and stares out the window. Anakin and Padmé share a look. Obi-Wan has pushed back at every opportunity, trying to either cancel this trip or delay it as long as possible. He’s been masking his feelings from his bond with Anakin, but Anakin can still tell that he’s nervous. He supposes it makes sense, but it’s no reason not to make this trip.

“Here we are,” the pilot calls from the front of the ship as they descend over the landing pad.

“Come on,” Anakin says to Obi-Wan, grabbing his arm and pulling him over to the ramp. Padmé takes Obi-Wan’s other arm and follows. “Let’s be sure we look good for their first look at us.”

“Anakin-” Obi-Wan groans, but the ship lands, and before he can say anything else, Anakin uses the Force to lower the ramp.

The second it opens, they’re immediately hit with a wall of noise. People are cheering loudly, there are banners everywhere, and there’s loud music playing. After a moment, Anakin realizes that the people are chanting something. A moment later, he realizes what it is.

“Our Jedi is back! Our Jedi is back!”

“Sounds like everyone is pretty excited to see you,” Anakin says, nudging Obi-Wan with his elbow. “Come on, let’s go out and greet your adoring public.”

Obi-Wan looks tense, and his jaw is set so firmly Anakin’s surprised his teeth haven’t cracked, but he allows Anakin and Padmé to lead him down the ramp. The cheering only gets louder as people get a good look at him. Anakin notices that there are a few signs with Obi-Wan’s face on them. He wants one.

The crowd parts as they get to the ground, ushering them in the direction of a huge outdoor pavilion. Anakin can see a few people standing inside, including a woman wearing a regal-looking gown and an older couple.

It takes a few minutes to reach the pavilion. Once they do, the regal woman steps up to them, a soft smile on her face. She’s young, probably a few years younger than Anakin. Her gown is gold and red, and she has a gold crown nestled in her blonde hair. Her lips are painted gold as well, and there are gold tattoos curling around her eyes. Anakin recognizes her from the holos Padmé showed him when they researched Stewjon.

“Welcome,” the queen says, her brown eyes warm. “It’s an honor to have you visit our planet, Empress Amidala, Knight Skywalker.” She looks at Obi-Wan and her smile widens. “Knight Kenobi, we’re so glad you’ve come home.”

“We’re grateful for your hospitality,” Padmé says when it becomes clear that Obi-Wan isn’t going to reply. “I apologize for myself and Knights Skywalker and Kenobi. It’s been a long journey.”

“Of course,” the queen replies. “I’ll have an attendant bring you to your rooms. I would only ask that you meet two people first.” She gestures, and the older couple steps forward. Anakin immediately recognizes them, even though he’s never seen them before. The family resemblance is obvious.

“These are Shel-Aja and Jan-Char Kenobi,” the queen says. “Knight Kenobi, these are your parents.”

Anakin can feel Obi-Wan’s flicker of panic through their bond. He clearly hadn’t expected to be faced with his parents this early. None of the panic shows on Obi-Wan’s face, but Anakin knows him well enough to read it in the stiffness of his bow.

“Obi-Wan,” Shel-Aja says, her voice reverent. “You’ve finally come home to us.”

“I’m honored to meet you,” Obi-Wan says. His voice is too much like a politician, like the Negotiator, and not enough like a son meeting his parents for the first time. Anakin shoots Padmé a quick look, hoping for damage control.

“We’re so happy to meet you,” Padmé says warmly. “We’ve all been so excited to come. We hope to spend a lot of time with you after we rest.”

“We apologize that our third couldn’t be here,” Jan-Char says. “But someone had to watch the shop, and we didn’t meet Kyr-La until after you were born, so she insisted that we go without her.”

“Your third?” Anakin asks.

“On Stewjon, relationships traditionally take the form of a triad,” the queen says. “I have two wives, and Kyr-La is Jan-Char and Shel-Aja’s partner.” She smiles. “Many were pleased when you announced your partners, Knight Kenobi. Family is very important on Stewjon.”

“Family is very important,” Shel-Aja repeats, smiling at Obi-Wan, who offers her a too-bland smile in return.

Padmé and the queen share a quick look. “I’ll have someone lead you to your rooms,” the queen says. She snaps and a servant comes up quickly. “I hope you’ll enjoy your time on Stewjon.”

“I’m sure we will,” Anakin replies with a smile.

Obi-Wan bows again, and Anakin follows suit. Padmé inclines her head at the queen, who inclines her head back. For a moment, Anakin thinks Shel-Aja is going to try to give Obi-Wan a hug, but thankfully, she refrains. Instead, the servant is able to lead them away in peace.

Their rooms, which are in the guest wing of the queen’s palace, are expansive and elegant. They consist of a sitting room, a bedroom, and a small room that is either an office or a dressing room. “This is nice,” Anakin says, looking around. “Stewjon seems pretty nice, doesn’t it?”

“It is nice,” Padmé agrees. “And the queen is lovely.”

Obi-Wan is conspicuously silent. “What do you think, Obi-Wan?” Anakin finally asks.

“I need to meditate,” Obi-Wan says. Before Anakin or Padmé can say anything, he disappears into the office/dressing room and closes the door behind him.

Anakin and Padmé share a look. “That could have gone better,” Anakin finally says.

“Do you understand why he’s so upset?” Padmé asks. “Are all of the Jedi like this?”

“None of the other Masters have been able to visit their families,” Anakin replies. “But Obi-Wan’s never been back to Stewjon. Plo has been to Dorin, and Luminara has been to Mirial. Maybe that makes it easier for them.”

“It could also just be that he’s Obi-Wan,” Padmé says dryly.

“Could be,” Anakin agrees.

Padmé looks at the closed door. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“I think he will be,” Anakin says, but he’s shooting glances at the door too.

They rest until dinner, which is a strained affair. Obi-Wan is charming, but in the way he is with strangers or political opponents he’s trying to win over, not in the way a son should be with his parents. Shel-Aja, Jan-Char, and their third Kyr-La all want to speak with Obi-Wan, of course, but Anakin and Padmé try their best to steer him towards the queen and her wives instead, as subtly as they can. Obi-Wan, for his part, seems more comfortable with them as well. Talking with planetary leaders is, somewhat ironically, more natural to him than talking with parents, especially his own.

After dinner, they all retreat into the queen’s sitting room. Anakin finds himself embroiled in a conversation with the two queens consort. The queen is talking with Padmé, and Obi-Wan finds himself faced with his parents.

Clearly, Anakin thinks to himself, this was by design.

Calm down, he sends to Obi-Wan through their bond, feeling his tension. They just want to get to know you. They’re happy to meet you.

I know, Obi-Wan sends back, but his tension doesn’t decrease. Even while caught in his own conversation, Anakin can tell that the atmosphere between Obi-Wan and his parents is strained. Anakin can only half focus on what the queens consort are saying to him, which thankfully seems to amuse them rather than irritate them, and he can see that Padmé seems distracted as well.

By the time it’s finally deemed late enough that they all disperse for bed, Obi-Wan is incredibly tense, which is bleeding over through their bond and making Anakin tense, which is bleeding over into the air around them and making Padmé tense. For a moment, Anakin wonders if perhaps they should have taken Obi-Wan’s advice and not made this trip, but then he remembers how thrilled Shel-Aja and Jan-Char were when they saw Obi-Wan for the first time, and he can’t really bring himself to regret it. He knows how much it would mean to him to see Luke and Leia again, if they were ever separated like this. He already misses Luke and Leia, who are staying on Alderaan with the Organas, and it’s only been a day.

“Your parents seem lovely, Obi-Wan,” Padmé says, apparently giving up on subtlety.

“I suppose,” Obi-Wan replies mildly.

“What did they want to talk about?”

Obi-Wan’s gaze skitters sideways. “They want to take me to their family house. Apparently, it’s where I was born and where I lived for the first six months of my life.”

“That sounds lovely,” Padmé says. “Maybe you could go with them tomorrow. Anakin and I have to meet with the queen, but you could go.”

“We do?” Anakin asks.

Padmé shoots him a glare when Obi-Wan isn’t looking, but her expression smoothes out quickly. “I forgot to tell you. The queen asked to see us while she and I were talking in the sitting room. Apparently, her wives like you quite a bit.” Padmé smiles at Obi-Wan. “She likes you too, but she knew that your parents would want to spend time with you.”

“I could go with you,” Obi-Wan says. “Shel-Aja and Jan-Char didn’t specifically ask me to go with them tomorrow.”

“We only have a week of time off,” Padmé says. “Getting here takes almost a full day, so we really only have five more until we need to head back to Coruscant. I’m sure your parents will want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

Obi-Wan’s lips thin a little, but he doesn’t protest. “In that case, I should get some rest. I understand that people traditionally rise with the sun on Stewjon.”

“We should all get some rest,” Padmé says. “The bed is more than big enough for three.”

Obi-Wan is mostly silent as they all get ready for bed. By silent agreement, Anakin and Padmé settle at his sides when they climb in, giving him the middle space. Obi-Wan opens his mouth to protest, but Padmé rests her head on his chest and whatever words he intended to say are silenced. Anakin nestles against his side, one arm draped over Obi-Wan’s stomach. It takes a while, but finally, the tension leaks out of Obi-Wan’s body. He isn’t quite asleep, but he’s close.

Anakin accepts the victory and falls asleep.

Obi-Wan gets somewhat more relaxed the longer they stay on Stewjon, but he never fully loses the tension in his shoulders. Anakin and Padmé push him to spend time with his parents as much as possible, sometimes with one or both of them there but often alone. As a result, they end up spending a lot of time with the queen and her consorts, all of whom turn out to be completely charming. Anakin finds out that one of the consorts is pregnant by the other, who’s transgender. All three women are very excited about the prospect of a baby. They’re also all willing to teach the tourists all about Stewjoni traditions, so Anakin ends up learning more than he expected. They even teach him a bit of the native language of Stewjon, although most of their conversations are spoken in Galactic Basic.

Anakin also gets to spend time with Obi-Wan’s parents, although he actually ends up spending more time with Kyr-La. She normally tends to hang back a bit while Shel-Aja and Jan-Char are spending time with Obi-Wan, as do Anakin and Padmé, so the three of them end up spending time together. She’s a lovely woman, and very maternal even though she doesn’t have any children. After Obi-Wan went to Coruscant to become a Jedi, his parents never had another child. Anakin wonders if that’s part of the reason why they seem almost fixated on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, for his part, is still too stiff around his parents, but at least he’s not avoiding them anymore.

The visit passes quickly, and before they know it, the last day comes and Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan attend their farewell dinner in the queen’s banquet hall. It’s a huge, sumptuous meal, augmented by good conversation. Anakin has to admit, he’s a bit sorry to bid farewell to Stewjon, even though he misses Luke and Leia almost more than he can bear.

“We’ll be sorry to see you leave,” the queen says as the final course is taken away. “We hope you come visit again soon.”

“We’re sorry to go,” Padmé says. “We’ll come back as soon as we make time.”

“Of course, you’ll want to see Obi-Wan as soon as possible,” Shel-Aja says amicably.

Padmé blinks, looking a little thrown. She shares a quick look with Anakin, then Obi-Wan. “Do you mean you’ll want to see Obi-Wan?” she asks slowly.

Jan-Char laughs. “We won’t have to worry about that! He’ll be right here with us!”

Padmé’s eyes widen a little. She shoots a look at Obi-Wan, but he looks as confused as she does. “I think there’s some sort of misunderstanding here.”

“Obi-Wan is staying, isn’t he?” Shel-Aja asks, beginning to look a bit confused herself. “We were told he was returning.”

“For a visit,” Padmé says. “He’s not…”

“I’m going back to Coruscant with Anakin and Padmé,” Obi-Wan says. “This has always been the plan.”

“But you said you were returning,” Shel-Aja repeats.

Suddenly, Anakin thinks he understands. “Does that mean something else in your language?”

The queen seems to understand at the same time as Anakin does. “In our language, if we say someone is returning, it is permanent. Does it not mean that for you?”

Padmé’s mouth drops into a little O. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. For us, it just means coming back to a place we’ve been, but it doesn’t mean permanently. It can, but we didn’t-”

“You’re leaving us,” Shel-Aja says, staring at Obi-Wan in horror. “You’re going away again.”

“I have a life on Coruscant,” Obi-Wan says. “I have partners, we have children-”

“You have parents here!” Shel-Aja cries. She jumps to her feet. Anakin can see the tears in her eyes. “How can you leave us?”

“Shel-Aja-” Jan-Char tries, but Shel-Aja ignores him, dashes at the tears on her cheeks, and flees the room.

“I apologize for my wife,” Jan-Char says, quickly standing. Kyr-La is standing as well. “We’ll go-”

“Let me go,” Obi-Wan says.

The entire table seems to freeze. Are you sure? Anakin asks him mentally, and in response, Obi-Wan lets Anakin feel his resolve. He’s clearly still a little uncomfortable, but he’s determined to do this himself.

No one says anything. Obi-Wan takes that as agreement. “If I may?” he asks the queen, standing and offering her a bow.

“Go,” she allows, and Obi-Wan leaves after his mother.

The dinner is finished, and the atmosphere in the dining room is tense, so everyone removes to the sitting room. It’s not really any less tense in there, but one of the queen’s consorts strikes up a conversation that ends up involving the whole room. It’s nothing serious, but it’s just enough to be distracting.

Obi-Wan and Shel-Aja don’t return for almost an hour. Shel-Aja has the clear signs of tear tracks on her face, and Obi-Wan doesn’t look particularly comfortable, but something about them makes Anakin think their conversation went well. He offers them a smile, and Obi-Wan just barely returns it.

Shel-Aja goes to Jan-Char and Kyr-La, dismissing their questions and offering only small nods. Obi-Wan sits between Anakin and Padmé. Both of them know that he’s not going to want to talk about it until they reach the privacy of their room, so neither of them bother to try.

“Well,” the queen says after a moment. “It’s been a long day for all of us, I’m sure, and tomorrow has an early start, so I think it’s time for all of us to turn in for the night.”

“That’s a good idea,” Padmé agrees. She stands and drops into a light curtsey. Anakin and Obi-Wan follow her example and stand, bowing. “Goodnight, everyone.”

The walk back to their room is silent, but the second the door is closed, Padmé pulls Obi-Wan into a tight embrace. “Are you alright?” she asks.

“I’m fine,” Obi-Wan replies, but he’s holding Padmé as tightly as she’s holding him. “I- Shel-Aja and I talked. She was expecting more of me than I was expecting to give.”

“But you’ve got things settled?” Padmé asks, finally taking a step back, although she doesn’t fully release Obi-Wan.

“I think I do,” Obi-Wan replies.

“We can always come back to visit,” Anakin says. “Maybe next time we can bring Luke and Leia.”

A slow smile curls across Obi-Wan’s face. “I think I would like that.”

The next morning, there are hugs all around as Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan go to their ship to return home. Shel-Aja is especially clingy, but Obi-Wan seems to tolerate the hug more than he ever has before, even going so far as to hug Shel-Aja in return. Anakin would almost say he enjoys it.

Leaving is bittersweet, Anakin reflects as he looks out the window of the ship. Stewjon is receding in the sky, growing smaller and smaller as they fly away. Soon, they’ll make the jump to hyperspace and the planet will disappear from view. Anakin’s thrilled to be going back to Luke and Leia, but…

“Stewjon was lovely,” Padmé says. “I’m glad we came.”

“So am I,” Anakin agrees.

Both of them look at Obi-Wan, but he’s still watching the planet through the window. It’s not until they jump to hyperspace that he turns back to them. There’s a small smile on his face.

“I’m glad we came too.”