#with a star wars reference for good measure

[volatilesubstances]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companions Ranked By Physical Strength (not STR)

I see so many people who consider any character with 8 or 10 STR stars to be physically weak and it annoys me because actually STR is only a specific part of what we call 'physical strength,' which also includes parts of DEX and CON (which are also not encompassing of dexterity and constitution) by definition. So, under the cut is a ranking of, in my opinion based on stats, context clues and character traits, the BG3 companions based on their overall physical strength. For arguments sake I am only considering the characters in their 'good' path, so no God Gale, Vampire Ascendent Astarion, etc. I am also considering how much they were likely nerfed by the tadpole. Possible spoilers ahead!!

1. Strongest - Lae'zel

This shouldn't be that shocking, githyanki are as a species built for combat and she has spent her entire life training to be a soldier.

Additionally, not only is she consistently swinging heavy weapons around, as a battle master, she is doing so with a level of precision that requires extra strength in order to manipulate the weapon she is using (fun fact, this is by definition attributed to dexterity rather than raw strength, despite being attributed to the STR stat ingame).

She also has the second highest movement speed of any of the companions, and the largest jump range, especially when considering the psionic jump, though this could be considered more magic than physical strength.

All of this she does while also wearing medium armour.

2. Karlach

Also not shocking, given she is a former soldier of an actual archdevil and built like that.

She's literally part machine, though the instability of her engine can be conditionally considered a limiting factor in her strength as much as a booster.

Only character proficient with war hammers, the heaviest weapon type in the game.

Best endurance (closest trait definition to CON stat, 'constitution' is not really a measurement of any given trait so much as the complete makeup of a person's physical form) of any companion, though in terms of physical strength one could argue this is offset by her not wearing armour.

Additionally, arguably the CON stat can be considered a mixture of physical and mental fortitude, so it is debatable whether this can be entirely attributed to physical strength.

3. Minsc

His STR stat does not match his actual strength at all.

For a start he is a former berserker, which has easily the most raw strength of any class or subclass across the board.

His introduction in this game is literally him prying the jaws of a mimic, which have a STR stat of 17 and CON of 15, open from the inside.

Ranger proficiencies don't cover any particular heavy weapons, but they do include both medium armour and shields. Minsc doesn't have either in his starting gear, but nonetheless has the ability to use them.

Also, just look at him. Man is bricked.

4. Astarion

Controversial given the 8 in STR, but realistically Astarion has to be pretty damn strong by nature, just in a different way to the others near the top of this list.

The skillset of a rogue can be compared to the physicality of acrobatics, gymnastics, calisthenics, etc. and let me tell you, that shit requires an insane amount of strength.

He was also likely the most nerfed of any of the companions in terms of physical attributes by the tadpole. All of the other spawn, and also vampire spawn according to 5e, have 16s in STR, DEX, and CON. Without the tadpole, and considering his 17 in DEX, it could well be that he was the strongest of the spawn to boot.

Additionally, it is mentioned a couple times ingame (and in 5e) that spawn can become full vampires by killing their master. Obviously this doesn't happen ingame, most likely just because it would cause balance issues, but as far as I know in the epilogue he is not explicitly referred to as a spawn, so it could be argued that the tadpole may have just supressed this evolution and therefore doesn't happen until the postgame. If this were the case, the baseline for his physical strength stats would be 18 in STR, DEX and CON, though as vampires are inherently magical and these stats are considered supernatural even in-universe, it is debateable how much these stats could attributed to actual physical strength.

5. Halsin

Halsin has one of the wildest changes in stats between NPC and companion, with his STR stat going from 20 in the Shattered Sanctum, to 16 after escaping, and then all the way down to 10 as a companion. Again, it's a balancing thing for gameplay, and because the stats otherwise would have been impractical for a druid, but cutting it by literally half is actually insane.

Again, I am treating his NPC stats as his 'canon' stats, given that a good amount of his character is that he is unnaturally large and strong (and hairy, though that's not really relevant) for an elf, to the point that a good portion of people actually headcanon that he is a bear that can turn into an elf and not vice versa.

Having said this, his dexterity isn't amazing and outside of wildshape, which I am again not considering as it is magic, his physical combat is mediocre without magic.

Interestingly, he at some point won an arm wrestle against Minsc, who I have put higher, though Minsc considered it to be cheating as he turned into a bear. As I see it, he wouldn't have turned into a bear to win unless he was either losing, or they were evenly matched enough that he was putting so much effort in he lost control. Either way, from this I would consider Halsin to be on par at most with Minsc, and this is also only one area of strength.

6. Jaheira

Jaheira's companion stats are nerfed from her NPC stats due to balancing, but interestingly this also changes her main stat. To me, her NPC stats are her 'canon' stats, but I do this the companion stats can also provide some insight into her overall constitution.

As a companion, Jaheira's main stat is a 17 in WIS, but as an NPC it is a 17 in CON, followed by a 16 in WIS. This backs up what I mentioned earlier about CON being partially mental fortitude as well as physical endurance.

Another weird change, as a companion Jaheria has a 10 in STR and a 14 in DEX, yet as an NPC her stats are again reversed in magnitude, with 15 STR and 14 DEX. There isn't really much to say about the order of these, but the high values in these stats just highlights that outside her generic druid build as a companion, Jaheira his very much a formidable warrior.

Having said this, as High Harper her job it likely 90% admin, diplomacy and telling people what to do rather than actual fighting and missions, with the exception of big stuff like the Cult of the Absolute.

Additionally, though in 5e there is some debate about half-elf lifespans, in the Baldur's Gate universe at least she is very much in the final decades of her life, and by her own admission past her prime. Even being the strong soldier that she is, at that age I can't imagine her stamina being quite as good as it may have been.

7. Minthara

Another NPC that gets nerfed when they become a companion, though the changes here are significantly less to write home about.

She's decently strong in all three relevant stats, though none of them are her main focus. DEX and CON both have their high values sacrificed when she becomes a companion.

She's also the only companion that has proficiency in heavy armour by default.

Having said this, she's not particularly heavily built, her background is in nobility rather than any sort of combat or athleticism, and a good portion of Paladins' power comes from their attacks being enhanced by spells rather than raw strength.

8. Shadowheart

We're getting to the companions that there really isn't much to talk about for.

She has decent relevant stats, as well as proficiency in both medium armour and shields, in addition to maces and morningstars, which are usually some of the heaviest one-handed weapons.

As a trickery domain cleric of Shar, she has trained in combat to a degree, and is by no means weak.

Having said that, she is small and lean and, most importantly, not a class that particularly has a need for a large amount of physical strength in pretty much any capacity.

9. Wyll

Wyll is the only character whose NPC stats are actually worse than his companion stats. Seriously, if this guy is supposed to be a hero and monster hunter already at the start of the game, why is he so weak?? That might be a bit harsh, he was probably also nerfed by the tadpole. Probably.

During the time of the game, pretty much the only thing going in his favour in terms of physical strength is his proficiency in shields, as his weapons of choice outside of spellcasting are also all lightweight weapons that, though obviously do have an element of strength to them, are generally more about skill and precision. Don't get me wrong, he is a skilled fighter, but strong he is not.

As the Blade of Avernus, if his pact is broken he is impied to become a ranger post-game, and archery, especially good archery, takes a good amount of strength, so he must have at least decent strength by the end of the game, even if his stats don't really change.

10. Weakest - Gale

The wizard? Squishy? Shocker.

Unlike Wyll and Astarion, I think his 8 in STR is more than justified, given he's a spellcaster with limited proficiencies and doesn't wear armour. He also has terrible movement speed, and has no physical endurance to speak of.

In terms of weapons, he is pretty much entirely limited to quarterstaves, which admittedly be quite heavy. Anyone can throw a big stick around, but to do so accurately... yeah, he can't really do that either.

I like to think the only reason he's physically built the way he is, is because of unhealthy weight loss caused by the orb, rather than any sort of actual muscle mass.

[hrrtshape]

hi Emma!! can you make a list of people to script out? lol

a comprehensive list of people to script out because they are objectively rancid:

(this is MY OPINION, and these people are HORRIBLE. i do not care for discourse. i am the jury, the judge, and the executioner of my own script. begone.)

johnny depp (we are not bringing 2013 tumblr back. pack it up.)

elon musk (i am scripting a reality where he does not exist and never has.)

j*ff bezos (ew)

andrew tate (i want my dr to have zero men who speak in soundbites from a joe rogan podcast.)

kanye west (no. next.)

chris brown (should’ve been wiped from public consciousness a decade ago.)

trump (not even a background character in my worldbuilding. gone.)

mark zuckerberg (if i see the metaverse in my dr, i’m burning it down.)

tucker carlson (i am scripting a dr where he never learned to read.)

any tiktok finance bro (no crypto, no ‘sigma male grindset,’ no pyramid schemes disguised as 'hustles.')

any man who starts a podcast with a brick wall background (automatic deletion.)

gal gadot (war criminal)

anyone who refers to women as ‘females’ (blocked, banned, removed from the simulation.)

any mediocre nepo baby trying to make ‘fetch’ happen (i am eliminating their acting careers at the source.)

whoever keeps giving sean penn a platform (who even asks for him anymore??)

whoever invented surge pricing on uber (i will find you.)

landlords. just, landlords.

jake paul and his ugly older brother (no.)

p*rnhub’s entire executive team (you know what you did.)

whoever decided to put ads on streaming services that already cost €15 a month (jail.)

jared leto (grown man. cult leader. dm’d underage girls like it was a hobby. gone.)

ezra miller (an international menace. every timeline is safer without them.)

armie hammer (cannibal allegations aside, why was he even famous? no.)

kevin spacey (never should have been a household name. goodbye.)

roman polanski (he's still alive? not in my dr.)

woody allen (should have been locked in a vault in 1979 and never let out.)

sean penn (why is he always involved in international conflicts? for what?)

mel gibson (we do not let blatant, recorded antisemitism slide. gone.)

chris pratt (not even the best chris. zero charisma. no.)

mark wahlberg (hate crime past. bad acting present. get out.)

miles teller (he just looks like a guy who ruins the vibe.)

vin diesel (refuses to let fast & furious die. enough.)

shia labeouf (unforgivable. no sympathy. let my girl mia out of your ugliness. gone.)

drake bell (convicted and still trying to make music? jail.)

dan schneider (he should have been removed from nickelodeon in the 90s.)

george clooney (irrelevant. flop. mocked on south park)

dream & co (i am eliminating every minecraft manchild from my dr. full reset.)

shane dawson (why did this man have a platform for 15+ years?)

again but andrew tate & his weird bald brother (expunged.)

keemstar (harbinger of all things nasty on the internet.)

jefree star (ugly. racist. something else)

p. diddy (whatever’s going on there is dark-sided. allegations on allegations. exile.)

nick cannon (he is building a small country with his offspring. make it stop.)

taylor swift’s entire ‘team’ (they keep letting her cook, and she should NOT be cooking this much.)

tyga (groomer. weirdo. we are not looking past it.)

pedro pascal (this is a test. if you reacted emotionally, you’re too far gone. no i'm joking. I'M JOKING)

christian horner (red bull f1 guy) (currently under investigation for weirdness. gone.)

cristiano ronaldo (his whole vibe is off. also, the case. you know the one.)

andrew tate (he gets listed thrice, for good measure.)

king charles (you waited how long to be king? pathetic.)

vladimir putin (the list is too long. gone.)

whoever keeps inviting logan paul back into mainstream relevance (why?)

every tech ceo who looks like they drink nutrient sludge instead of eating food (you are not evolved, you are sick.)

anyone who got famous just by reacting to tiktoks (do something else.)

guys who made a 'how to pick up girls' course (straight to hell.)

prince andrew (…do i even need to explain?)

ellen degeneres (mean, fake, expired.)

whoever keeps casting james corden in things (why do they exist?)

the entirety of the british monarchy (what are you even for?)

every influencer who scams their audience with fake ‘mentorships’ (shameful.)

james corden (listed again, because he keeps coming back.)

anyone who calls themselves a ‘high-value man’ unironically (tragic.)

whoever designed apple’s autocorrect system (i will find you.)

whoever keeps rebooting franchises instead of making original movies (enough.)

the facebook fact-checkers who flag satire posts as misinformation (get a job.)

people who still defend chris brown (you're in the trenches for a man who would leave you there.)

whoever greenlit ‘velma’ on hbo max (you have destroyed a generation.)

prince andrew (listed again for emphasis. we are not forgetting.)

if you shift and see even one of these people, run it back. that is not your dr. we do not tolerate pollution.

[dcdreamblog]

With so many Golden Age legacies running around, are there any heroes you’re surprised that someone took up the mantle of - either because they’re so obscure as to be nearly forgotten, or so bizarre that it’s difficult to think that someone would want to?

Yes and no? And I'm going to explain the 'no' quickly before I get onto the yes. As I've said before I have to resign myself to the fact that I don't know what's going on in superheroes' personal lives and that I don't have any right to. What might seem to us to be totally obscure or even bizarre in reference might be deeply connected and personal to the person who chose to take up that mantle. All superheroes are people after all and the ripples such people leave behind even at their most obscure are worthwhile and need consideration. It's why, for instance, I didn't choose the modern version of The Whip. While the Whip is in the running for most obscure superhero of the Golden Age period, we know that the modern Whip is that original hero's granddaughter and that that connection is very personally important to her. There's nothing bizarre about that.

Now beyond the intellectual faffing about and onto the actual answer.

(A photo of the second Captain Triumph saving a downed helicopter) This woman is the second person to call herself Captain Triumph. Which is not only an obscure legacy to claim but also an odd one. The original Captain Triumph was US Air Force pilot Lance Gallant but ALSO his brother Michael in a story that involves ghosts, and a Final Destination style rebalancing of the scales of death. (Which is not only too long, complicated and sordid a story for this topic but also the second time that sort of thing happened in the Golden Age) Once the original Captain Triumph fell into retirement after the Second World War he become very obscure. Left out of most histories that weren't events in which he was directly involved and only given a small spike of understanding in my particular circles by his inclusion in the wonderful Alt History novel JSA: The Golden Age which I highly recommend if you're interested in that sort of thing. This new woman, well there's very little to be known about her in specific. What can be gleaned about her is tied to her being one of the members of the Crusaders, a group of superheroes backed by the Department of Defense who were framed as (say it with me if you can): "A more patriotic alternative to the radical independent superhero community more beholden to US national interest". Yea, that old song and dance. Her abilities resemble the former Captain Triumph but that's not saying much since those abilities just amount to flight, superhuman strength and some measure of invulnerability. The "flying brick" archetype that seems to be so statistically common among superhumans. Once the Crusaders inevitably went wrong (the collapse of which was part of what drove the Stormy Knight Phantom Lady into her public alcoholic spin out) this heroine seems to have vanished right back into whatever obscure corner she came out of.

I call this one the most obscure and most bizarre simply because we know so little and also that was probably the entire reason this pedigree was chosen for her, if indeed it was. Captain Triumph is a name that comes from the past, he was a respected member of the All Star Squadron in good standing BUT as far as we know the Gallants have no living family and no inheritors of their mantle meaning that the Defense Department could claim to anchor themselves back to the most respected and widespread superhero team of its original age without getting called out on it by anyone who knew better.

[olderthannetfic]

Opinion on the comments in some of the the @ao3topshipsbracket polls: a wildly popular ship is not the same as one that had an actual impact on fandom history. Most popular ships have little to no impact outside their own fandom. Which isn’t to say that ships can’t have impact on their own fandom history, just that they don’t have much impact on general fandom history as a whole.

I understand that the polls aren’t actually measuring fandom history but this got me thinking about what has actually and I think these are the ones:

Spirk - origin of slash fandom shipping and laid the groundwork for fandom/shipping in general

MSR - responsible for the term ‘shipping’ and was the driving force behind the beginning of fandom/shipping on the internet and the creation of fanfiction.net

BTVS - (unfortunately) gave rise to the idea of being ‘anti’ something and ship wars

Harry Potter - most affected fandom on livejournal by the censorship which led to the creation of ao3

Thoughts? I couldn’t think of another fandom/ship that has huge impacts outside of their own fandom.

--

Strikethrough made people more eager for AO3, but the original inspiration was a for-profit fic archive made by venture capitalists.

The X-Files' big archive was Gossamer. Was MSR really influential in the creation of FFN? I don't remember that.

What ships have a big impact really depends on era and how you're looking at things. K/S and MSR are the obvious ones from long after the fact, yes.

Starsky/Hutch was what really split Media Fandom from literary SF fandom. Star Trek started the split, but it was people getting into a buddy cop show that made it clear that fanfic zine types weren't just about science fiction anymore, not even "mass media" SF in place of book SF.

Bodie/Doyle was the moment people stopped being media fans and started being Slash Fandom specifically. The US fandom had barely even seen the show: they were there for the slash zines.

Jim/Blair fandom gave us sentinel/guide AUs. The Sentinel as a canon sure as fuck didn't.

Ranma fandom set the pattern for every dumb "which girl will he end up with?" fight in anime fandom forever after.

IDK if we can blame 1x2 as opposed to Gundam Wing fandom for inspiring people to many other incomprehensible math equation ships in every anime fandom with dumb number names.

Popslash popped a bunch of prudes' RPF cherries, then LOTRiPS did, then J2 did, then hockey did, then BTS did.

Free! and then Yuri on Ice started the long slide from anime fandoms mostly refusing to leave FFN to newer anime fandoms being on AO3. YOI also lured a lot of people into anime for the first time.

Wangxian got a bunch of "Ewww, no anime ever! Western fandoms 5eva!" people into Asian fandoms at long last. (Whether this was a good thing is a matter of opinion. Hahaha.)

--

I really think it depends on frame of reference.

[insane-thoughts-oftheday]

A (not) so small philosophical interpretation of Odysseus in epic

Disclaimer: I'm doing this analysis for fun, please don't take everything I write as truth, because this text is based on my interpretation and, even though it took some academic research to do it. It's worth remembering that I don't have a degree in philosophy yet, so I can still make mistakes on some points. Another point I want to highlight is that I wrote this text in a language other than English, and there may be some translation errors by Google, so I apologize if anything is confusing or if you have any questions about something, feel free to comment or send an ask, I'll do my best to explain.

(Notice that's basically me as far as you decide to read this blog)

EPIC:the musical is a work that is very present in my life and in the lives of many other people who are reading this little fan outburst; And if you've just stumbled upon this craze and are hearing about it for the first time, a brief summary is that it's a musical, more addictive than drugs, that tells the story of Odysseus, that guy from Greek mythology who spent 20 years trying to get home after the Trojan War, also known as Simp by his wife Penelope. We have moments of joy, sadness, introspection and many fan outbursts caused by the owner of it all, Jorge Rivera-Herrans, who is not only the creator but also the lead singer of this masterpiece, playing Odysseus and a few others.

But let's get back to the analysis here because I could talk about this for hours without stopping.

A few months ago, when the Underworld saga was released, I remembered the phrase:

"If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

This phrase was written by Nietzsche in the book Beyond Good and Evil, and it reminds me a lot of the Odysseus we see in EPIC, although the phrase is incomplete in the previous quote, even though it is the most common one we see being spread around. The original is:

“Whoever fights monsters should take care that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

And I also remember thinking about that phrase by Heraclitus, which I think everyone has heard, probably incompletely, at some point in school:

“No one can step into the same river twice, for when he steps into it again, the waters are not the same, and the being itself has already changed. Thus, everything is governed by dialectics, the tension and the alternation of opposites. Therefore, reality is always the result of change, that is, of the struggle between opposites.”

In my opinion, I think that both phrases fit well with the version of the character that we see starring in the entire musical, since most ancient myths and poems have different versions and translations and of course Jorge took some artistic liberties; Odysseus is a Greek hero who fights against many monsters, both mythical and internal, taking into account his ethics as a person while trying to survive and return home.

I think it's interesting to point out that from here on I'll use some different terms, but I'll do my best to explain them.

We can see that throughout all the sagas Odysseus is describing the line of what it is to be human and how one can easily slip off it; this line is located between the definition of gods and monsters/animals and is known as Metron, which gave rise to the word measure, and here we will use it as a synonym for limit for something. It's also good to say that metron has nothing to do with a person's morals/character, because it's a question of ethics.

Morals are the set of rules that concern good and evil, right and wrong. These standards refer to values ​​that are passed down from generation to generation and guide the conduct of individuals in their daily lives. (personal)

Ethics is a field of philosophy whose object of study is the principles that guide morality. In this sense, ethics is a philosophical reflection on morality, approaching the universal principles that govern the common good and coexistence between human beings in general. (common sense)

In my opinion about the musical, the issue of gods and monsters is not so different. For me, in that context, monsters and gods are the same thing, since they are outside the ideal of humanity, but this point may be mentioned later.

Metron is not a knowledge, it is, above all, the limit between impossibility and weakness.

We can see in several Greek myths that human beings like to cross this line, most stories end in tragedy because of this, human beings can also be called “Hybris” which is an excess, it is being hybrid, having two natures, acting in two ways, it is being in the Metron and trying to be something that one is not, because thinking that we can be more than men is arrogance, and arrogance is a human emotion, another story that exemplifies this well is the myth of Oedipus who tries to overcome his destiny given by the gods and ends up fulfilling it anyway.

Hybris is a Greek concept that can be translated as "everything that goes beyond the measure; "immoderation" and which currently alludes to excessive confidence, exaggerated pride, presumption, arrogance or insolence (originally against the gods), which often ends up being punished.

It is worth noting that hybris would in no way be a sin, in the concept of the word and the ideal current translation for it would be "Hamartia", which by chance is also no longer used in its original meaning because of the Catholic Church.

Now going to the interesting part because I was just giving context of terms.

In The Horse and the Infant, we 'meet' our beloved version of Odysseus, where during the Trojan War he states that everything he is doing is for his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, using this as a way to inspire his men to carry out the massacre that he himself did not want to participate in, I think because of his moral nature, the proof is so much that in Homer's original Odyssey, he pretends to be crazy so as not to show up when called, unfortunately he is unmasked and forced to go.

We also see here that up until now Odysseus is still a very moral character, he has his reasons for being there, he, like the other warriors, has a family and his deepest desire is to return to them. So with this we can conclude that he is still just a man, he is human.

In the same song we see how far his morality goes, as he receives the divine mission to kill the young Trojan prince, Astyanax, who is just a baby, due to the threat that one day he will want revenge on him and his kingdom.

All of this creates doubts in Odysseus, about the morality of gods and men. Here we see him crossing the line and this whole text begins to be about ethics, as it is common sense that killing a child is a monstrous act, but for him not to kill means that his family will die in a more horrendous way later and he cannot let that happen.

Then we have the monologue in Just a Man, the best song, where we can really see the doubts mentioned earlier. And one detail that I find very interesting and that will be important for this text is that in Gigi's animatic, we can see Odysseus' "monster" being 'born' and its source is the baby and his doubts about whether he would really be a monster just for that, even though at that moment the baby is still just a human, the mission to kill him little by little makes him a monster due to the possibility that one day he himself will commit several atrocities.

It's fun for me to think that representing 'the monster' as a tree could be an allusion to the fact that trees take as long to grow as a monster takes to be formed by man.

I think you now understand part of Nietzsche's quote. Odysseus looking at his own reflection and not recognizing himself, seeing the monster he will become if he crosses the metronome is very well treated in several animatics, but the most visible is in Gigi's where he is not only referenced but shown as a completely different being both in attitudes and thoughts.

I'll just pause to say that I love how Gigi did the work of showing the tree growing in the shape of a skull, which could be the deaths that the monster will bring or that it is a macabre thing to do, I don't know, I just love this detail for some reason.

And also how I think that makes a point of showing that the real problem is not the baby but rather Odysseus' unethical thoughts developing because of his doubts.

Ok, end of the pause and start of a mini explanation.

I didn't think this analysis would be so long and in my original thought I was only going to end up mentioning a few songs and focusing more on "No Longer You" and "Monster" but it ended up getting out of control and listening to the musical again it seems like I can make a lot of connections that I hadn't thought of before but now I can't express them properly, so from now on there will be a gigantic gap in content that I might fill later in another post or by editing this one, but at the moment thinking too much about it is giving me a headache and I really wanted to be able to post this now along with the Wisdom Saga because it's something I did for fun from fan to fan and I know that now the fandom is busier. One day I swear I'll do a complete analysis relating song by song, but not today for the sake of my mental health.

End of explanation, subject change.

Going through his entire journey, Ody goes to the underworld after Tiresias who reveals that he will never return home, which makes him indignant, I think any human would be, how much he suffered to get there for nothing. Here we can see how Heraclitus fits into the prophet, and as much as I hate cutting philosophical phrases in half, I don't think I need to use the whole thing to make sense of it here, because the most well-known part of it is enough to get to the point discussed here, since it really won't be him who returns to Ithaca, but rather another man, a man haunted by his own past and by the ethics of his people.

There is no way a man who spent 20 years away from home, suffering for the divine and for his own mind, can be the same, because this is a human characteristic, humans are hybrid beings, which implies that we can change our own nature while gods and monsters will always follow the same line of thought, since they are perfect they do not need drastic changes to live as they are.

That's it. So finally we have the mental breakdown where Ody begins to accept that it doesn't matter if he is a monster to everyone, he did what was necessary. He looked into the abyss and was looked back. He becomes the monster, even if he compares himself to the other divine creatures, which I think he never really learned to differentiate from humans, because Ody my friend there is no way you can really reach the level of a cyclops or a god with a wounded ego, or a traumatized nymph, time makes things very trivial for them and let's face it you will not live even half as long as they do because you are just a mortal.

And I don't know how to make gifs so here are some prints to illustrate the last paragraph. But before that I wanted to thank you if you read this far, I know the ending was kind of bad but I'm emotionally tired, I hope I at least conveyed the idea that was in my head. Thank you and stream the new saga!!!!

(All arts belong to gigi!! go check out this amazing work!!!)

[zionistgirlie]

Hiii! You seem really good at collecting info and facts.

I'm not Jewish so l've never really heard a pro-Israel side to the war that wasn't from the POV of a non-Jew. I've also mainly been of the opinion of 'plz can no one die' so l've usually leaned to the pro-Palestine side, because of the huge amounts of deaths l've heard of.

I was wondering if you could maybe give some examples of pro-Palestinian arguments+views, and your opinions of them? Like for example the colonisation argument, or the fact that a lot more Palestinians have died than Israelites.

I'm not going to say that you're necessarily going to change my mind on a lot of things, but I really value all opinions and would like to broaden my understanding of the war.

Thanks for your time!

First of all, I really appreciate your willingness to seek views that go against your own. I think it's courageous and something that people of all opinions hate to do.

Honestly, I don't follow the pro-"Palestine" arguments too much; they seem to all end in "(((zionists))) are killing babies and using them for baking matzot", I don't know if I've seen many actually decent, logical points even when I was an antizionist, so if you have anything specific you'd like me to refer to, feel free to send a following ask!

I don't know if I'll manage to keep it short and sweet; this is a vast topic to cram into bullet points, and as the Talmud says, "Ten measures of speech descended to the world; women took nine", but let's try!

YOU'RE A WHITE COLONISER

This view seems to ignore two main points:

Colonies, historically, were under the rule of an empire. Colonies, by definition, are an extension of an empire, a mother country or a sovereign entity. The British Empire had colonies, the best known of which are, of course, the 13 colonies of America. There was also Arab colonisation, which, for some reason, people don't like to mention.

The Jews, on the other hand, were a persecuted minority group in every country they were in. They were not an empire, and they had no mother country. Zionism began, in fact, when Herzl watched the Dreyfus affair and realised that Jews, even if they were in high positions, were still persecuted and scapegoated. Is it Colonialism when members of a persecuted minority return to their native land? This brings me to the other point:

In no case in the history of colonialism, except for the case of the Jews and the Land of Israel, have settlers arrived in the land and found archaeological evidence dating back thousands of years that they were indigenous to the land. Is it possible to colonise a country you are native to? This seems to be the case, but only when it comes to Jews.

Speaking of colonisation: Those who hold the view that Jews colonised the Land of Israel claim that the Arabs who call themselves "Palestinians" are the natives of the Land of Israel. But there is no archaeological evidence of an Arab or Muslim presence in the Land of Israel until the seventh century, when the Muslim conquest began (the conquest, begun by Arabs in present-day Saudi Arabia, took from Kashmir and Punjab and parts of India in the east to Morocco and parts of Spain in the west). The Arab conquerors reached the Levant (where they were not natives), and ordered the construction of a mosque on the Temple Mount, above the site of the first and second Jewish temples. In the eighth century, the Muslim conquerors ordered non-Muslims to wear identifying clothing (a yellow star for Jews (sounds familiar?) and a blue star for Christians).

TLDR:

Arabs are native to Arabia, not to the Levant; Jews are native to Judea. You cannot colonise a land to which you're native.

A persecuted and displaced minority group, who returns to their native land in order to protect themselves from persecution and genocide: this is not colonisation.

WHAT ABOUT THE CRAZY DEATH DISPARITY?

First of all, it is worth saying that a higher death toll in a war does not equal moral superiority, more just (justest?) claims or righteousness in general. In World War II, more Germans died than the British, and that includes civilians. The logical assumption is not and should not be that the Germans were probably right and that the Nazis were righteous. This opinion seems funny when applied to other conflicts, yet for some reason, when it comes to Israel and Gaza, it seems a correct and logical opinion.

However, if you believe the numbers provided by the Hamas Health Ministry (which you shouldn't), it does appear that there are more deaths on the Gaza side. So why is that?

Israel devotes the largest percentage of its annual budget to the defence budget. The budget allocation within the Ministry of Defense itself is mainly confidential, and yet we still know that Israel has some of the most advanced defence systems in the world (Iron Dome and the like), so advanced that several countries, including the United States, have purchased them. Israel is an advanced, technological country, with good minds, and is constantly working on inventing, building, and improving its defence systems in order to ensure maximum protection for its citizens.

Gaza, how shall we put it, is none of these things. Gaza receives enormous sums of money from the West, as well as from Iran, and invests it in purchasing offensive equipment (Kalashnikovs, tanks, missiles, explosives…) and building a network of underground terror tunnels, in which senior Hamas figures hide. It was recently revealed that these tunnels are 200-400 miles long.

The shafts for these tunnels are often found inside hospitals, mosques, schools, and even children's rooms (including the tunnel in which the six hostages were murdered), as revealed by the IDF spokesman.

Hamas has continuously, since 2007, hidden weapons and tunnel shafts in these humanitarian locations, carried out shooting from these locations, and put its citizens in danger. A NATO report from 2014 also says so. This is a violation of international law.

During the war, Hamas prevented civilians from evacuating areas that the IDF announced it would attack, in some cases even shooting its own people who wanted to flee an area of ​​attack. This, too, is a violation of international law.

Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said "the growing civilian death toll would serve to benefit Hamas more than a cessation of fighting would." He also called the high civilian death toll "necessary sacrifices." From their actions and words, it is clear that Hamas does not consider protecting its citizens important.

TLDR:

Hamas does not defend its people. Furthermore, they hide behind them in order to use "lawfare". Israel spends money and effort on defence and protects its civilians rather than hiding behind them.

I don't support death, hence I support Palestinians:

Israel is not looking to murder Gazans. Israel was in a ceasefire with Hamas until the massacre of October 7, 2023 and the kidnapping of 251 men, women and children. An existential war was forced upon Israel, which it waged most of the time with one hand tied behind its back (courtesy of the Biden administration and the West). Even if you look at the number of deaths that Hamas has provided (in which there was no separation between civilians and militants), after over a year of fighting, it can be said that Israel is waging a precise war and is very careful to avoid harming civilians. For reasons detailed above, and also due to the nature of war in general and the October 7 war in particular, harm to civilians cannot be zero. This is the bleak nature of war. I would love to find a war in which not a single civilian was harmed, if you have any links or ideas, please! But this war began following a massacre in which 1200 people were brutally and cruelly murdered, many of them civilians, a hundred of them children. Fifty more children were kidnapped to Gaza, where they were abused. Two children, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, were strangled in cold blood in captivity. The argument that you don’t want unnecessary death is a great one, but it misses the point that Gazans do want unnecessary death. Of Jews, and, to be honest, of Gazans too.

In short, Israel is waging a war against jihadist terrorist organisations. That should be the basic premise. It is difficult to wage a fair and lawful war, even more difficult when the enemy does not follow international law, the laws of war, or basic decency.

The premeditated murder of civilians is a violation of international law. The premeditated murder of children during a war is a violation of international law. Kidnapping of civilians and children is a violation of international law. Sexually, physically, and psychologically harming the hostages, as well as starving them, is a violation of international law.

To be honest, you don't have to be pro-Israel now. It's strange to me that people who have no skin in the game are choosing teams as if it were a football game. The view that war is bad is a good enough "side." The view that the death of civilians in war is bad is a good enough "side". The view that harming Jews who have nothing to do with the war is bad is also a good enough "side".

We are not looking for your support or your love. We are not a football team. We are a broken and hurting people who have experienced the greatest massacre since the Holocaust and are just trying to bring our sons and daughters home, to eliminate a terrorist organisation that is willing to shed our blood, and to be left alone.

(Don't get me wrong, your support is appreciated, but that's not why we're fighting.)

[theetherealbloom]

THE SILVER LINING — CH. 5

Chapter Five: Closing In

Summary: After aiding the Republic and the fall of the Empire, you left the Jedi Training Clan on Bogden 3 to help families needing medical care with the call of the Force. You are a kind, warm-hearted healer on Nevarro, treating the citizens and the bounty hunters. Imperial remnants still linger in the shadows, waiting to strike at the perfect moment. Leading you to assist the Mandalorian with rescuing the Child has led you to your biggest adventure yet.

Paring: Din Djarin x Force Sensitive!FemReader (Empath)

Warnings: Violence, Age–Gap Romance, Angst, FLUFF, Eventual SMUT, Swearing, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Crying, Suggestive content, Flirting, People pleasing, Flattery, Blood, Blasters, War, Religion References, Aliens, Sith, Character Deaths, One Bed Trope, Awkward, Plot Holes

Word Count: 10k

A/N: I swear I don’t mean to take months to update! I get sidetracked so often by random things and other obsessions. I’m at a point with this story where I get lost with the timeline so then I have to reread what I wrote (try not to cringe at my writing) and then continue on writing the next chapter. Usually, I’m very organized with my outline so I don’t lose track of where I am plot-wise, but Star Wars is— it truly is something else. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! We’re one step closer to the season finale. Love you guys :>

Song: De Selby (Part 2) by Hozier

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OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – EVENING

It had become apparent to you that Din was touch-starved, even though he never openly admitted it. You could trace the progression of his need for physical contact, starting with subtle gestures like a comforting touch on your elbow or a gentle squeeze of your hand in public. These small interactions held unspoken messages of affection, revealing a side of Din that he rarely showed to the world.

His tactile expressions of intimacy grew more pronounced over time. Your heart skipped a beat the first time he cupped your face, his gloved hand warm against your cheek. The tenderness of that touch spoke volumes, carrying a depth of emotion that words couldn't quite capture. It was a silent promise, a reassurance that you were not alone in this unpredictable universe.

One memory stood out vividly: a day when the three of you found yourselves in a cantina on an outer rim planet. The credits Din had earned were put to practical use, securing supplies and a decent meal for all of you. While Din went to order drinks, you focused on the child, ensuring he was comfortable and fed.

Amid your care-taking, an unfamiliar man appeared, his presence casting a shadow over your booth. You regarded him with skepticism, raising an eyebrow as his words dripped with overconfidence.

"Can I help you with something?" you responded, your tone laced with a mix of caution and annoyance. The stranger's attempt at flirtation was as transparent as the space beyond the cantina's windows.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" he purred, his words dripping with unmistakable intent.

Suppressing an inward sigh at the sheer predictability of his approach, you let a subtle, sarcastic smile curve your lips. The galaxy had taught you to navigate these situations with a mix of wits and composure.

As the child cooed beside you, curiosity evident in his innocent eyes, you shifted your gaze back to the stranger, his overconfident demeanor oozing from every pore. Your reply was measured, tinged with a hint of dry amusement, "Clearly, I'm not alone and occupied, so if you could leave, please."

Undeterred, the stranger continued with his advances. "C'mon, baby, don't be such a priss. I'll show you a good time."

You were on the cusp of rising from your seat, ready to firmly reiterate your point when a sudden shift in the atmosphere seized the cantina's attention. It was as if the air had changed, thickened by an invisible tension. The chattering voices seemed to hush instinctively.

Amid the palpable silence, Din materialized like an imposing guardian. His presence radiated authority and raw power, his Mandalorian armor reflecting the ambient light, turning him into an almost mythical figure. His voice cut through the stillness like a blade, sharp and unyielding, "She said leave."

The room held its collective breath as the stranger's bluster crumbled in the face of Din's command. The confrontation became a silent battle of wills, one that spoke volumes without the need for further words. The stranger's retreat marked a victory for the indomitable force that Din embodied, leaving the cantina in stunned silence.

Your gaze shifted from the defeated stranger to Din, who stood there with an intensity that both reassured and electrified the room. His unspoken declaration of protection wasn't lost on you, a testament to the bond forged through shared trials and unspoken connections.

And then, with a swift shift, Din's demeanor transformed. His grip on patience loosened, and his actions spoke volumes where words had been unnecessary. In a heartbeat, he had seized the offender, the loud crack of bone echoing through the hushed cantina as the stranger's resistance was brutally halted.

Your breath caught, a sharp inhale of surprise and a hint of awe, as the resounding crack of bone filled the air. It was a stark punctuation to Din's swift and decisive intervention, a thunderous echo of authority that cut through the cantina's previous cacophony. The clatter of utensils and the discordant symphony of bowls added to the jarring chorus, a testimony to the power that had just been unleashed.

The stranger, once so assertive, now resembled a scurrying insect, his escape marked by a trail of spilled drinks and overturned stools. He disappeared into the crowded haze of the cantina, no longer a contender in this silent duel.

Throughout this confrontation, Din's gaze remained unyielding, a force of nature that had momentarily swept the establishment into a hushed reverence. As the patrons bore witness to the unassailable might he wielded, their earlier bravado had crumbled into hushed awe.

With the situation resolved, Din's attention shifted back to you, and that deep, unspoken connection that had been nurtured through shared challenges seemed to shimmer in the charged atmosphere. His gloved hand gently found yours, prompting you to rise from your booth. You cradled the child securely in your arms, his innocent eyes bearing witness to this display of protective strength.

“I could have handled it,” you spoke, your voice soft and understanding, and Din nodded, a faint hint of gratitude in his voice. “I know.”

A beat passed between you, the atmosphere laden with unspoken words. Then, Din continued, his words tinged with vulnerability, "I could not just stand there and do nothing," he said, “I would... the things I would do to ensure you and the child are safe.”

His voice trailed off, leaving the weight of his unspoken commitment hanging in the air. It was a promise forged in the crucible of their shared experiences. A vow to protect and cherish, even if it meant confronting the darkest corners of the galaxy.

You blinked, your gaze filled with understanding and affection. With a gentle hand, you reached out, placing it over his heart, and whispered, "I know. I would too."

To your surprise, he was the first one to initiate the hug. His strong arms wrapped around your waist, drawing you into an embrace that felt surprisingly warm beneath the cool, unyielding exterior of his beskar armor. You still held the child in your arms, creating an intimate tableau of unity. Surprisingly, the hard plate of his chest was comforting, the armor a symbol of his steadfast protection. In his embrace, you felt safe, secure, and trusted, as if nothing in the galaxy could harm you as long as you were in his arms.

Maybe that's why you two ended up where you are now. In the passing days and nights, your connection deepened, communicated through silent reassurances by the simple touch of an elbow or the light squeeze of his gloved hand. Din seemed to always find a reason to be near you, seeking excuses to touch and hold you, even if only for a brief moment.

There were times when you would prepare food for the three of you, and Din would just watch from a few steps away. Despite the helmet, you could feel his gaze as he observed you move around the small workspace, heating the food. You would glance over your shoulder to smile at him, and his heart would flutter wildly.

In those moments, you could see the shimmering outline of his silver aura mixing with shades of reds and maroons, a silent testament to the emotions he kept hidden behind the beskar helmet. 

The nights in the cramped bunk leave you no room to move, but you find it surprisingly comfortable, curled up together. The baby sleeps soundly in his hammock nearby, his tiny breaths filling the small space with a sense of peace.

During those nights, Din often surprises you with unspoken acts of service. He'll quietly slip out of bed, leaving you wrapped in the warmth of the blankets, and return with a cup of hot caf. He never says a word, but the gesture speaks volumes, warming not just your body but your heart as well.

Sometimes, he'll softly hum a lullaby, a hauntingly beautiful tune that you've never heard before. The melody dances in the air, soothing both you and the baby, creating a bond that goes beyond words between the three of you.

As you lie there, nestled in his arms, you can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, you've found something exceptional in the vast, unforgiving galaxy.

The peace the three of you had found seemed almost too good to be true. It was a fragile tranquility in a galaxy filled with chaos, and you knew deep down that it wouldn't last long. Still, you couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, you could carve out a small sanctuary for yourselves.

But as you entered the flight deck one day and saw the look on Din's face, you knew that the serenity was about to be shattered. Concern etched your features as you asked, "What's wrong?"

Din didn't immediately reply. Instead, he pressed a button, and a flickering hologram message of Greef Karga materialized before you. His gravelly voice filled the cockpit, delivering a message that sent a chill down your spine.

"My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive," Greef Karga's hologram began. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown."

The weight of those words hung heavily in the air, and you exchanged a knowing glance with Din. It seemed that your past had come back to haunt you again, and the peace you had briefly tasted was slipping through your fingers like grains of sand from Tatooine.

Greef Karga's hologram continued to flicker as he outlined the dire situation on Nevarro. His gravelly voice held a tone of urgency as he explained, "They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on you and Din. It was clear that this was no ordinary mission; it was a perilous gambit that carried immense risks. Karga's proposal hung in the air, the unspoken words echoing loudly in the confined space of the Razor Crest.

"So, here is my proposition," Karga continued. "Return to Nevarro. Bring the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange, and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the child and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."

The concern in your eyes didn't escape Din's notice as you voiced your doubts. "This has to be a trap, Din," you asserted, your voice tinged with worry.

Din nodded in agreement, his thoughts mirroring yours. "Possibly."

A small, determined smile graced your lips as you continued, "We're gonna need help... from our friends."

As you glanced at the sleeping Child, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on both of you. It was a decision that would determine the course of your future and the safety of the innocent life in your care.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Din made his decision clear. Without uttering a word, he steered the Razor Crest toward the coordinates Greef Karga had provided, the ship leaping into hyperspace. The die was cast, and a treacherous path lay ahead, but the bond between you and Din, and the allies you had made along the way, offered a glimmer of hope in the darkness of uncertainty.

SORGAN, 9ABY – DAY

The Razor Crest soared over the lush tree canopy of Sorgan, its engines humming like a contented beast. As the forest gave way to an open area, Din carefully brought the ship down, landing with the grace of a seasoned pilot.

Exiting the ship, you and Din followed a worn path that led to a common house in the distance. The atmosphere was different here, far removed from the cold metal of your ship. It was a place where the rustic charm of Sorgan had found a home.

Inside the common house, the commotion caught your attention. A sizable crowd had gathered, their voices mixing with the clatter of glasses and the low hum of conversation. At the center of the room, a makeshift boxing ring had been set up.

You and Din approached the ring just as Cara Dune, faced off against a male Zabrak fighter. Cara’s movements were swift and calculated, her strikes a testament to her combat prowess. The Zabrak, equally skilled, proved to be a formidable opponent. Each of them tethered to a laser that crackled with energy. The makeshift boxing ring suddenly felt smaller, the tension palpable as the combatants engaged in a fierce battle.

As the bout reached its climax, Cara executed a flawless maneuver, pulling the Zabrak in with the tether that connected them. The Zabrak, caught off guard by her sudden tactic, found himself unable to escape her grasp.

With a swift and decisive motion, Cara forced the Zabrak to tap out, his admission of defeat ringing through the air as the laser tether fizzled out between them.

Cara's triumphant grin illuminated her features as she basked in the adulation of the crowd, her chest heaving with exertion from the intense match. With a playful twinkle in her eye, she extended a victorious finger, punctuating her declaration to the assembled spectators.

"Pay up, mudscuffers! Come on. That's mine, thank you. All right, thank you," Cara exclaimed, her voice carrying over the din of the cheering crowd. In response, several patrons begrudgingly reached into their pockets, producing credits to settle their wagers.

You, Din, and the Child entered Cara's line of sight, drawing her attention away from the crowd. Din's voice, deep and commanding, cut through the noise of the common house as he addressed her directly.

"Looking for some work?" Din inquired as he broached the subject with Cara and you all decided to take a seat and have a drink as you discussed the situation.

"It's a straightforward operation," Din elucidated to Cara, his voice low and measured. Leaning forward, he rested his left forearm on the table, his gaze unwavering as he outlined the details. “They're providing the plan and firepower. I'm the snare.” Meanwhile, you tended to the Child who fussed beside you, keeping one eye on the conversation.

"With the kid? And her?" Cara inquires, casting a glance your way.

"That's why we're reaching out to you," you respond softly, meeting Cara's gaze.

Cara sighs, weighing the risks. "I don't know. I've been advised to keep a low profile. If anyone runs my chain code, I'll be in a cell for life."

"I thought you were a veteran," Din remarks, his silver helmet catching the light as he speaks. The defeated Zabrak fighter drops a credit on the table and nods at Cara, who offers a smile. "Come back soon," she calls after him.

"I've been a lot of things since. Most of them come with a life sentence," Cara explains, her expression serious. "If I so much as board a ship registered to the New Republic, I'm—"

"We have a ship," Din interjects, his voice firm. "I can take you there and back, and there'll be a handsome reward waiting. You can live free of worry."

"I'm already free of worry, and I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore," Cara says, taking a sip from her cup. "Especially not for some local warlord."

"He's not a local warlord," Din interjects, his voice low and with a growl. You finish the statement, your tone was distant, eyes glazed. "He's Imperial."

Cara takes a deep breath and offers a small smile as she nods. "I'm in."

INSIDE THE RAZOR CREST

OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – SPACE

"Does your contact need to vet me?" Cara leans against the side of the cockpit panel, her arms crossed. Din shakes his head. "Doesn't know you're coming."

Cara raises an eyebrow. "Really? That could be a problem."

"It won't. But if it is, that's his problem." Din shrugs before exiting the cockpit. You give the Child a gentle pat as he sits beside you, then follow Din down the ladder and to the weapons locker with Cara.

"Is he alright up there alone?" Cara asks, nodding towards the cockpit. 

Din nods. "Yeah." He opens the locker, the doors hissing as they slide apart. Gesturing to the array of weapons, he adds, "Pick one."

"Do you trust the contact?" Cara inquires, brows raised as she sifts through the locker's contents, a grin playing on her lips.

Din lets out a sigh. "Not particularly," he admits, his tone tinged with a hint of wariness. "He and I had a run-in last time I was there on some Guild business."

"So then why are we going?" Cara questions, her tone laced with curiosity as she glances over at Din.

"I don't have a choice," Din responds, his voice carrying a weight of resignation. He pauses, then reaches out to pull you closer to his side, anchoring you against him as he leans against the ship's panel. "You saw what happened on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters," he continues, his gaze steady. "The kid and her... they'll never be safe until the Imp is dead."

"And you're okay with bringing them back there?" Cara asks skeptically, a hint of concern coloring her tone. You frown slightly, your expression conveying a sense of determination as you respond, "I can take care of myself."

"What about the kid? We need someone to watch that thing," Cara remarks, gesturing towards the Child above in the cockpit. Din nods in agreement, acknowledging the need for a trustworthy guardian. "Yeah."

"You got anyone you can trust?" Cara inquires further, her gaze shifting between you and Din.

You feel Din's thumb brush over the exposed part of your hip, a comforting gesture that sends a subtle warmth rippling through your body. He hums softly, his presence enveloping you in shades of silver and grey, a reassuring aura amidst the uncertainty of the moment.

Suddenly, the ship begins to rumble, Cara stumbles, her hands reaching out to brace herself against the wall. Meanwhile, Din swiftly pulls you closer to his body, a protective instinct evident in his actions. With a gruff huff, he releases you and heads back up the ladder.

You and Cara follow Din up the ladder, only to find the Child meddling with the controls, causing the ship to thrash and rumble. Din takes charge, settling into the pilot's seat to stabilize the Razor Crest once more.

"We really need someone to watch over him," you remark, holding the Child securely in your arms while Din nods and agrees, “Yeah.”

MOISTURE FARM, ARVALA-7 — SUNSET

The Razor Crest settles on the desolate planet of Arvala-7, its rocky surface bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun. As the ramp lowers, you step out alongside Din and Cara, the hovering pram carrying the Child trailing close behind.

Your eyes fall on the Ugnaught Din mentioned, a figure named Kuiil, who greets you warmly as you make your way to his home. With a nod, you duck your head to enter the tunnel-shaped structure, eager to get to know Kuiil.

"It hasn't grown much," Kuiil remarks, his eyes fixated on the Child.

Din nods in agreement. "I think it might be a Strand-Cast."

Kuiil shakes his head slowly. "I don't think it was engineered. I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved. Too ugly."

"I had a dream recently," you begin, your voice soft but earnest. "A creature like him named Yoda appeared to me… this little one is likely to be one of his kind."

Din listens intently, his gaze underneath his helmet fixed on you as you speak.

"It’s why I followed you, at first," you continue, turning to face him. "Because the last time the Empire had Force Sensitive children…" You trail off, overcome with emotion. "I just couldn’t leave him there."

Din's gauntleted hand gently clasps yours, emanating a comforting warmth that sends a tender sensation coursing through your veins. You feel a soft flush rise to your cheeks as you meet his gaze, the visor of his helmet lending an air of mystery to his expression.

Kuiil clears his throat, his gaze shifting between you and Din. "You and Din make a formidable pair," he says with a nod, his tone carrying a note of respect. "A union like yours brings strength and unity in uncertain times."

A flush of embarrassment warms your cheeks, prompting you to avert your gaze momentarily. However, Din's firm grip on your waist draws you closer to where you sat, anchoring you in his reassuring presence.

Meanwhile, Kuiil turns to Cara with a playful glint in his eye. "This one, on the other hand," he remarks, "looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora."

You gesture toward Cara with a smile, introducing her to Kuiil. Cara responds with a nod, her own smile reflecting the camaraderie in the room.

Kuiil's eyes settle on Cara's arm, where the telltale tattoo of a Dropper catches his attention. "You were a Dropper," he observes, prompting Cara to raise an intrigued eyebrow. "Did you serve?" she inquires the Ugnaught.

Kuiil settles onto a stool, his expression taking on a thoughtful cast. "On the other side, I'm afraid," he admits. "But I'm proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt, and now I serve no one but myself."

As Kuiil speaks, the room is suddenly interrupted by the mechanical steps of an approaching figure. You glance toward the entrance and see an IG-11 droid entering, carrying a tray of steaming drinks. Instantly, both Din and Cara spring to their feet, blasters are drawn, their defensive instincts kicking in. Meanwhile, you remain seated, a mix of confusion and curiosity etched on your face.

The IG-11 droid, its metallic voice crisp and clear, breaks the tension with an unexpected offer. "Would anyone care for some tea?"

Kuiil, ever composed, raises a calming hand towards Din and Cara. "Please lower your blasters," he urges, his voice steady and assured. "He will not harm you."

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby," Din asserts, his voice tinged with anger as he keeps his blaster trained on the IG unit.

Kuiil interjects calmly as IG-11 places the tray on the table in front of you, "Not anymore. It was left behind in the wake of your destruction.”

“I found it laying where it fell. Devoid of all life. I recovered the flotsam and staked it as my own in accordance with the Charter of the New Republic. Little remained of its neural harness.” Kuiil recounted to you and you listened intently.

"Reconstruction was quite the challenge, but not impossible," Kuiil reflects, his voice carrying the weight of experience. "It had to learn everything anew. This is not a task for mere machinery. It demands patience and repetition. Day after day, I nurtured its growth with care and affirmation. And as its experiences expanded, so did its personality."

Din remains skeptical, his tone betraying his doubt as he inquires, "Is it still a hunter?"

"No," Kuiil replies firmly, "but it will defend."

As the IG-11 droid offers, “Tea?” Cara grabs the cup and takes a sip while you exchange glances with Kuiil, sensing the sincerity in his words reflected in the warm hues of the sunset. With a reassuring touch, you rise from your seat and place a hand on Din's outstretched arm, gently guiding down the blaster. "He speaks the truth," you affirm softly. "It’s okay. We’re okay."

Reluctantly, Din secures his blaster back into its holster, his tension easing slightly as he acknowledges the reassurance in your words.

"I've encountered some difficulties," Din admits as he approaches Kuiil, who is tending to the Blurrg.

Kuiil emits a thoughtful hum. "Seems like you've been managing quite well. Especially with her support," he remarks, nodding in your direction. You're engrossed in play with the Child, introducing the little one to the droid, while Cara observes with interest.

As Din watches you, bathed in the warm glow of the setting suns, he can't help but marvel at your radiance. Your smile outshines even the brightest stars in the galaxy. In that moment, he feels a profound sense of gratitude for having someone like you by his side.

A warm sensation stirs within Din as he watches you laugh at something the Child finds amusing. The primal urge to claim you as his own surges within him, an instinctual longing he struggles to suppress. Beneath his helmet, his jaw tightens as he fixates on you, momentarily lost in the intensity of his emotions. When you glance his way and offer a smile and a wave, his heart swells with longing, yearning for a world where he could have you all to himself, free from the burdens that weigh upon you both.

Swallowing hard, Din tears his gaze away, attempting to regain his composure. "That's not... that's not why we're here," he insists, his voice tinged with an edge of determination.

"I assumed as much. There must be another reason for your return," Kuiil observes with a knowing hum.

Din's voice carries a low, earnest tone as he addresses the Ugnaught. "I need your services."

"I'm retired from service," Kuiil responds, his voice measured.

Ignoring the subtle refusal, Din presses on, his words tinged with a hint of desperation. "I can pay you handsomely, Ugnaught.”

The Ugnaught, displeased by Din's persistence, harumphs. "I have a name. It is Kuiil."

Din's gaze remains unwavering as he makes his request clear. "I require someone to protect the child, Kuiil."

Kuiil shakes his head, his resolve unwavering. "I am not suited for such work. I can reprogram IG-11 for nursing and protocol duties."

Din's voice grows firmer, his tone resolute. "No. I do not want that droid anywhere near him."

"Why are you so distrustful of droids?" Kuiil asks, his tone curious yet skeptical.

Din's response is matter-of-fact. "It tried to kill him."

Kuiil nods, understanding. "It was programmed to do so. Droids are not inherently good or bad. They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them." He looks to Din, hoping to impart some sense to the Mandalorian.

Din's voice carries a distant gravity as he speaks with a serious tone. "I've seen otherwise."

"Do you trust me?" Kuiil's gravelly voice breaks the silence, his gaze steady on Din.

Din nods thoughtfully. "From what I can tell, yes."

"Then trust my work. IG-11 will join me," Kuiil asserts, his tone resolute. "And we do it not for payment, but to protect the child from Imperial slavery."

A weight seems to settle on Din's shoulders as he exhales softly. Kuiil's continues, "None will be free until the old ways are gone forever."

Din takes a moment to consider, his mind churning with the implications. Finally, he meets Kuiil's gaze and nods. "Okay."

"The blurrgs?" Din queries, a hint of confusion in his voice as Kuiil starts to walk away.

Kuiil pauses, turning back to face Din. "And the blurrgs will join me as well," he affirms, his tone carrying a sense of finality.

Kuiil turns once more and continues on his way, leaving Din standing there with a contemplative expression. As he disappears from sight, his parting words linger. "I have spoken."

INSIDE THE RAZOR CREST

OUTER RIM TERRITORIES, 9ABY – SPACE

After securing the blurrgs in the Razor Crest's cargo hold, Din takes control of the ship's controls, steering it towards Nevarro. With the ship set on autopilot, you and he descend the ladder into the cargo hold, where the Child sits in his hovering pram, eyes wide with curiosity as he emits a soft cooing sound.

As you assist Kuiil with feeding the blurrgs, your attention is drawn to the sounds of grunting nearby. Slowly turning, you find Cara and Din engaged in an arm wrestle, their muscles straining against each other in the dim light of the cargo hold. Despite the intense competition, they appear evenly matched.

As you observe Din's impressive display of strength, a flutter of excitement stirs within you, mingled with a hint of something more intimate. His determination and power are undeniably captivating, igniting a subtle thrill that courses through your veins.

"I got you, Mando," Cara declares with a huff, her voice laced with determination.

Din's response is confident as ever. "Care to double the bet?" he challenges, his voice resonating with a subtle intensity. You catch a glimpse of his gaze behind the visor, sensing his determination.

Intense heat rises to your cheeks at the sound of his gruff grunt, the raw energy of the moment heightening your anticipation. You’ve been buzzing with anticipation for weeks.

But the heat fizzes out as a moment of panic grips you as Cara struggles, her hand dropping abruptly from the arm wrestling match. It startles both you and Din, prompting him to rise to his feet with urgency.

As you rush over to the Child, you hear Din's firm voice addressing the little one. "No! No, no! Stop! We're friends, we're friends. Cara is my friend!" he asserts, his tone authoritative.

Stretching out your hand, you tap into the Force, attempting to gently ease the Child's grasp on Cara. Gradually, the tension dissipates, and you release your hold on the Force, feeling a wave of relief wash over you. Eager breaths escape your lips, leaving you slightly winded from the unexpected exertion.

Cara gestures toward the Child and voices her concern, "That is not okay!"

"Hmm. Very curious," Kuiil remarks, his gaze shifting to you and the Child.

"Curious? It almost killed me!" Cara exclaims, her alarm evident.

"The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes more sense," Kuiil adds.

"Mudhorn?" You interject, your curiosity piqued. You glance over at Din, who has now moved closer to you, checking to ensure you're okay as you still catch your breath from the ordeal.

"What is it?" Din inquires Kuiil while keeping you close by his side.

"What it is, I don't know. But what it does, this… This I've heard rumors of," Kuiil replies.

Cara shoots the Ugnaught a skeptical glance. "What? When you worked for the Empire?"

Kuiil stands his ground, his tone resolute. "When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude."

"Yet somehow, you walk free," Cara retorts with a scoff, rising to her feet. But Kuiil remains unfazed. "I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon what I am nor whom I shall serve."

As the swirling colors of intense emotions overwhelm your senses, you feel a surge of turbulence within. It's a challenge to maintain composure, especially given your empathic abilities.

Sensing your discomfort, Din's demeanor softens, a rare glimpse of tenderness shining through. In a voice touched with kindness, he addresses Kuiil, "Tell you what. I could really use your craftwork right now. Can you pad this container so the child can sleep better?"

Kuiil acknowledges the request with a nod, his expression solemn. "I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one's hands."

With purposeful movements, Kuiil sets to work, the hum of machinery filling the space as sparks fly from the welding gun. Meanwhile, the Child observes with wide-eyed curiosity. Feeling Din's comforting touch on your lower back, he guides you back up the ladder toward the cockpit.

You move to take a seat on a nearby chair, but before you can settle, Din swiftly pivots from his pilot chair. His strong hands encircle your waist, pulling you onto his lap in a single fluid motion. You emit a surprised yelp as you find yourself seated sideways, legs draped over his, and your head nestled against the cool surface of his beskar pauldron. Instinctively, you loop your arms around his neck to maintain your balance.

"Din! Cara could walk in any second," you whisper urgently.

He responds with a nonchalant hum. "She won't mind."

"But—"

"You seemed winded earlier, using your..." Din's voice trails off as he adjusts a few controls, and you finish his thought, "The Force?"

"Yes," he confirms.

You release a sigh and reach up to lightly touch the side of his helmet, wishing you could see beyond the reflective visor. "Din, I'm alright. It just took me by surprise. Later, I'll speak with the kid about using the Force responsibly. It's something we need to ensure he understands."

As you utter the word "we," something ignites within Din's chest. The notion of you wanting to stand by his side, to be integrated into his clan, strengthens his need to claim you as his own, to initiate the formal courtship.

With a gentle movement, he leans his helmet closer, as he uses his left gloved hand to hold the back of your neck, bringing your forehead to rest against his. The warmth of your skin contrasts with the cool touch of his beskar armor. You instinctively close your eyes, sharing a moment akin to the gesture known as the keldabe kiss.

You emit a soft sound, unable to suppress it as you sense him gently squeeze the back of your neck, expressing his desire to draw nearer. Din gruffly murmurs, "Soon, Cyar'ika. Soon."

"You better be fully clothed in there, I'm coming in!" Cara's voice echoes through the ship before the doors hiss open and shut, signaling her entrance. She finds you still seated on Din's lap, a sheepish expression on your face.

Wide-eyed, you attempt to slide off Din's lap, but he pulls you closer in a tighter grip. Your embarrassment intensifies, your cheeks burning as Cara smirks at you. Wanting to hide, you bury your face between Din's neck and shoulder, the heat of the moment igniting a mix of desire and embarrassment throughout your body.

Cara meticulously cleans her blaster as she addresses both of you, "So, we're heading to Nevarro?"

Din, still seated with you on his lap, engages in the conversation, "Have you been there before?"

"No," Cara responds, settling into her seat with the blaster and a rag in hand. "We lost a lot of our forces there. The city's dug in pretty deep. No cover when you drop in. It stayed in Empire control 'till the end of the war.”

Din nods in acknowledgment. "The warlord we're taking out was an Imperial officer.”

Cara's curiosity piques. "What station?"

Din turns his chair, keeping you snugly in his hold, as he explains, "Hard to tell. No insignia anymore.”

You attempt to wriggle out of his grasp once more, but his arm around your midsection keeps you firmly in place.

"We took out the safehouse when we snatched the kid." Din continues, his tone grave. "More Imps have reinforced since.” 

Apologies for the oversight. Here's the revised text, retaining the original dialogue:

"There's something more going on," Cara remarks as she begins to clean a different rifle.

"Maybe. We'll find out more when we land," Din replies, his gaze fixed on the controls.

The doors hiss open, and IG-11 steps inside, its robotic voice announcing, "I have prepared second meal. Would you care to be served here or below?"

"I'm not hungry," Din says flatly.

The IG-11 leaves.

Cara's chuckle echoes lightly in the cockpit. "You got a real thing for droids, don't you?" she teases.

Din's voice remains monotone as he responds, his helmet reflecting the dim light. "I got a real thing for that droid."

"The Ugnaught said he rewired it," Cara mentions, her tone casual.

Din shakes his head, his expression hidden behind the helmet. "That droid was designed to kill things. I don't care how much wiring he replaced. It goes against its nature."

Cara's departing words linger in the air as she heads back down to the cargo hold, leaving you and Din alone once more.

A hushed quiet falls between you, the hum of the ship's engines filling the space. You break the silence, the words catching in your throat. "We need to get ready..."

Din's voice is soft, barely above a whisper. "Just let me hold you a little longer, Cyar'ika," he murmurs, his tone laden with affection. You meet his gaze, feeling a warmth spread through you, and with a quiet nod, you reply, "Okay."

NEVARRO, 9ABY – DUSK

The Razor Crest descends into a desolate corner of Nevarro, the distant hum of its engines fading as it settles on the uneven terrain. Your pulse quickens, the rhythm echoing in your ears as you adjust the cloak robe to conceal your lightsaber, keeping it out of sight.

The four of you dismount the ship, perched atop blurrgs, and spot Greef Karga approaching, accompanied by three other bounty hunters including a human, Nikto, and a Trandoshan. He strides toward your party, a mix of urgency and caution in his steps. "Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando, but things have gotten complicated since you were last here,” he says, coming to a halt a few paces away.

As he surveys the group, Greef Karga remarks, "It appears that introductions are in order. It seems we've both provided a security detail," His gaze shifts to Cara. "I'd suggest the shock trooper stays back to guard the ship. These lava fields are swarming with Jawas."

"She's coming with us," you assert firmly.

"But the town is now run by ex-Empire. If a Rebel Dropper is with us, they'll all get their hackles up," Greef Karga argues, attempting to dissuade you.

"She's coming," Din insists.

Greef Karga grudgingly relents. "Fine," he seethes, then relents once more with a resigned sigh. "Fine." Gesturing to Cara, he adds, "Just cover your tattoo. No need to draw unnecessary attention."

"Now, where's the little one?" Karga inquires. Din activates a button on his bracer, causing the hovering pram to glide forward, its hatch hissing open. Greef Karga leans in to inspect the Child, drawing uneasy gazes from the group. Fingers hover near blasters as tension mounts, and you clench your jaw.

"So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about. What a precious little creature. I can see why you didn't want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head," Greef Karga remarks, lifting the Child briefly before returning it to the hovering pram. Din swiftly closes the hatch with another press of his bracer, bringing the pram back to his side.

As the group prepares to embark on their journey across the lava fields of Nevarro, Greef Karga lays out the plan. "Well, I'm glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all. The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell, camp out at the riverbank, then make our way into town at first light," he explains. You nod in agreement as your group rides the blurrgs, ready to traverse the treacherous terrain.

NEVARRO, 9ABY — EVENING

As the group settles in for the night, a campfire crackles, casting flickering light on the surrounding faces. You find a spot on the ground, seated cross-legged like the others. Positioned between Din and the Child, Kuiil patiently feeds the young one while you quietly finish your meal.

Across the fire, the three bounty hunters sit, their faces illuminated by the dancing flames. With a keen sense, you observe them, your empathic force powers awakening to perceive shades of darkness and red, hinting at hidden motives and deceit.

As you unconsciously shift closer to Din, preparing to whisper your observations, Greef Karga's voice cuts through the quiet night. He gazes at the Child, remarking, "I guess the little bugger's a carnivore. Never seen anything like it. They were ready to pay a king's ransom for that thing. Must be for some kind of highfalutin menagerie."

"Let's go over the plan again," Din interjects, brushing off Karga's comments.

“We three enter the common house. We show the client the bait. We join him at the table. And you kill him,” Greef Karga explains matter-of-factly, as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

Din quickly follows up, “Tell me about his reinforcements.”

“They're all ex-Empire. As soon as they lose their paycheck, poof, they'll all scatter,” Greef Karga replies nonchalantly.

“And what if they don't?” You press further.

“They will,” Greef Karga asserts confidently.

Din shakes his head, “That's not good enough.”

Greef Karga sighs heavily, “If, for argument's sake, a few of them don't realize that I'm their best path to alternative employment and they elect to react impulsively, then these three fine Guild Hunters, along with that battle-hardened shock trooper, and your Jedi will cut down anyone who bucks.”

“I’m a medic, not a Jedi,” you mumble with a clenched jaw.

“How many will there be?” Din asks Greef Karga.

“No more than four,” Karga replies as he rises from his seated position, heading over to the large piece of meat roasting over the campfire. He reaches out to grab a piece, confidently stating, “He travels with, at most, a Fire Team. Trust me. Nothing can go wrong.”

However, his confidence is shattered as a large beast emerges from the darkness. It's a species of winged, predatory reptavians native to Nevarro. With a large wingspan, scaly and dry skin, and a dragon-like appearance, these reptavians have a pointed snout, a mouth filled with sharp teeth, and two brownish eyes.

One of the reptavians swoops down, sinking its teeth into Greef's arm, eliciting a pained grunt from him. Chaos erupts as blaster fire fills the air, echoing against the rocky terrain. Each member of the group takes aim, firing at the winged assailants with precision.

With swift movements, the Mandalorian secures the Child in his hovering pram, shielding the youngling from harm. Meanwhile, you ignite your lightsaber, its vibrant purple hue casting an eerie glow in the dim light. Swinging it fiercely, you fend off the winged creatures with determined strikes.

Amidst the commotion, a blurrg and a Trandoshan bounty hunter fall victim to the creatures' relentless onslaught. As one of the reptavians swoops down to snatch another blurrg, it meets its demise in a barrage of blaster fire, falling lifeless to the ground. Unfortunately, in the chaos, a blurrg is accidentally struck by friendly fire.

After the Mandalorian's flamethrower repels the winged creatures, a tense silence settles over the group, broken only by the occasional groan of pain from Greef Karga. As the dust settles and the smoke clears, everyone remains on edge, waiting to see if the creatures will return.

Moving swiftly, Kuiil rushes to Greef's side, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow. "He's hurt badly," Kuiil announces, his voice tinged with worry.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Ow!" Greef insists through gritted teeth, his bravado failing to mask his discomfort. You kneel beside him, your focus on assessing his injury. The deep bite mark left by the reptavians catches your attention, and you speak with authority, "Hold still."

"They got you good," you murmur, your focus still fixed on the deep wound.

"How bad, Cyar'ika?" Din's voice comes from behind you as you work.

"Bad. The poison's spreading fast," you reply, urgency lacing your tone as you inject Greef Karga with a pen, hoping it will slow the venom's progress.

"So this... This is how it happens," Greef Karga says between labored breaths.

Cara rolls her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I need another medpac! Got any other medpacs?" you urgently call out.

“Anyone? I'm guessing that's a ‘no’,” you say with a huff, frustration creeping into your voice. You glance back at his arm, noting the venom's continued spread. “It's still spreading. This isn't working.”

“Get this thing outta here,” Cara exclaims, prompting you to realize that the Child had approached unnoticed.

Observing the Child, Kuiil interjects, “Wait.”

The Child extends his tiny green hand and places it atop Greef Karga’s arm. With a wince, Karga cries out, “He's trying to eat me!”

You sense it too—the subtle hum of the Force emanating from the Child. With each focused use, the Child begins to harness his abilities, channeling them to gradually heal Greef Karga’s arm, leaving no trace of a scar. Witnessing such skill from one so young fills you with awe; Force Healing of this magnitude is exceedingly rare. A collective exhale fills the air, each member of the group seemingly sharing in the astonishment of witnessing such a miraculous feat.

NEVARRO, 9ABY – DAWN

As the sun begins to ascend, casting a dim light across the rugged landscape, the group presses onward. Smoke billows from the small volcanic vents scattered throughout the rocky terrain of Nevarro. An uneasy silence envelops the group, with Greef Karga's companions forging ahead, leaving you, Din, Cara, and Kuiil to tread quietly behind on foot, the Ugnaught trailing along atop the last remaining blurrg.

Cara speaks softly, directing her question to both you and Din. "You think they're having second thoughts?"

Din responds in a hushed tone, his voice barely audible. "Could be. I need your eyes."

"I'm watching," Cara confirms with a nod.

An hour later, your group arrives at the outskirts of Nevarro, with Greef Karga leading the way and you, Din, and Cara close behind. "I guess this is it," Greef Karga remarks, gazing out at the view. But something tugs at your gut, a feeling that something isn't right.

Before you can react, Greef abruptly turns around and fires at his associates, sending them collapsing lifeless to the ground. The sudden violence startles you, Din, and Cara. They swiftly unholster their blasters, aiming them at Greef Karga, while you grasp your saber hilt, activating it in readiness to deflect any blaster fire.

Din and Cara keep their blasters trained on Greef Karga, who raises his hands in surrender. "There's something you should know," he confesses as he ensures that both the bounty hunters are truly dead and kicks away their blasters. "The plan was to kill you and take the kid. But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."

Your brow furrows as you listen to Karga's plea. "Go on," he continues, "You can gun me down here and now, and it wouldn't violate the Code. But if you do, this child will never be safe."

Cara grits her teeth and shoots Karga a scowl. "We'll take our chances," she asserts firmly.

"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset. You tried to run, but where did it get you?" Greef Karga reasons, causing Cara to grow more agitated. "This is ridiculous," she tells Din.

"Perhaps you should let him speak," Kuiil interjects calmly, while you maintain a steady gaze on Greef Karga.

Karga points out, "Listen, we three need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the child to him and then you two…"

"No," Din interrupts firmly.

Cara clenches her jaw, her blaster aimed at Greef Karga. "Let's just kill him and get outta here," she suggests, her frustration evident.

You feel the Force connecting you through your empathic powers, sensing the true colors of Greef Karga. Taking a deep breath and deactivating your saber, you speak up. "He's right."

Din lowers his blaster, while Cara hisses in disbelief, "What are you doing?"

"As long as the Imp lives, he'll send hunters after the child," Din explains to Cara, who responds with a warning, "It's a trap."

"Bring me," Din suddenly interjects.

"What?" you exclaim, taken aback, while Greef Karga echoes, "Bring you?"

"Tell him you captured me. Get me close to him and I'll kill him," Din states with determination, and Karga nods, “That's a good idea. Give me your blaster.”

As Din hands over his blaster, it prompts you to protest as you take a step closer to him. "No! Hold on, it should be me. Bring me instead," you insist.

Din begins, "Cyar'ika—"

You sharply turn your head to face Greef Karga. "Do they know?"

Greef Karga begins to respond, but you cut him off, your voice tense with urgency. "Do. They. Know?"

"Yes," he confirms.

"Okay," you swallow, your mind racing through the options and landing on a decision. "You bring me in. Say that Cara captured me and convinced Mando to trade me instead of the Child." You then hand over your saber hilt to Greef Karga who pockets it.

"No. Absolutely not. You are going back to the ship with Kuiil and the Child," Din interjects, his tone firm.

"But without her or the Child, none of this works!" Karga exclaims, trying to reason.

"I’m going with you," you assert, stepping closer to Din. As he meets your gaze through his visor, you see the conflict in his eyes. He starts to protest, but you cut him off with a whispered plea, "I am going with you, and there is nothing you could say to convince me otherwise. We face these things together." You reach out and touch the side of his helmet, feeling the cool metal beneath your palm as you press your foreheads together. "Let me be there for you, like you were for me. Please."

Din hesitates, visibly conflicted. Finally, he lets out a shaky exhale. "Maker help me. Fine, fine. But you listen to me, alright? When I tell you to run, you run. Got it?"

You nod, determination in your eyes. "Okay."

Din grunts out his plan. "Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with the child and seal yourself in. Once you're inside, engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

"Here's a comlink," Kuiil says, handing Din the device. "I will keep the child safe."

Kuiil looks at Cara and advises, "Don't forget to cover your stripes."

"Let's go," Din nods, prompting everyone to prepare. He turns to you, offering a pair of silver binders. You secure your hands in front of him, feeling a flush of embarrassment at the familiar sensation of the cuffs.

With a click, your hands are bound, and he asks softly, "Not too tight?"

Feeling playful, you respond with a cheeky grin, "You could make it tighter."

There's a warmth in his chest, almost like laughter. His mouth quirks into a smirk. "Cyar'ika, you are going to be the death of me."

You freeze, sensing the shift in his demeanor beneath the helmet. It's almost like awe or something.

"What?" he asks, catching your reaction.

"You're smiling, I can tell by your voice," you note, smiling yourself. Your eyes meet the visor of his helmet, and his skin prickles with awareness.

Suddenly, he wants you a lot closer. In his lap. Straddling him, maybe. Your hands in his hair, and his in yours. But there's no time for that. You clear your throat, breaking the moment, and gesture toward Greef Karga, who is waiting for the other pair of stun cuffs to restrain Din.

Din regains his composure, walking over to Greef Karga to be cuffed. As he does, Cara conceals her tattooed arm with a cloth, and Kuiil picks up the Child from the hovering pram. With your group heading in opposite directions, you hope fervently that everything will go according to plan.

NEVARRO, 9ABY — DAY

Greef and Cara escort the bound Mandalorian, you, and the hovering pram toward the town. At the gate, they come across two scout troopers riding 74-Z speeder bikes.

"Chain code?" one of the Scout Troopers demands, eyeing Greef Karga suspiciously.

Greef nods toward you and Din. "I have a gift for the boss."

The Scout Trooper repeats, "Chain code?" with insistence. Reluctantly, Greef retrieves his card and hands it over.

The Scout Trooper scans Greef's card. "I'll give you 20 credits for the helmet," he offers, eyeing the Mandalorian's helmet.

Greef lets out a fake laugh. "Ha-ha! Not a chance. That's going on my wall."

Din leans in to Karga, whispering, "On your wall?" Greef shoots him a pointed look. "Go with it."

"Go ahead," the Scout Trooper says, returning Greef's card. The group proceeds forward into town.

Cara gives Greef a sharp look. "You said four. There are more than four troopers."

Greef explains quietly, "Four guarding the client. Many more here in town. Things got really heated once Mando crashed the safehouse."

Cara suggests, "Slip him his blaster."

Greef shakes his head. "Not yet."

You approach the cantina's entrance, Greef Karga announcing, "Here we are." As the door slides open, the once bustling space is now eerily empty, save for the watchful eyes of the stormtroopers stationed inside, their presence unsettling.

Greef nods towards the troopers. "You see? Four." He then leads you and Din towards the Client, gesturing towards both of you. "Look what I brought you. As promised."

The Client moves closer to Din, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns of Din's beskar chest plate. "What exquisite craftsmanship. It's remarkable how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans."

Your expression twists in disgust as you watch the Client touch Din's armor. Then, the Client's attention shifts to you, his hand reaching out to grab your face. You meet his gaze with a defiant glare as he remarks, "Ah, the Jedi. Word travels fast whenever your kind is spotted." His tone drips with disdain. "What a waste."

As the Client releases your face, you feel a surge of revulsion. Sensing Din's simmering anger, you brace yourself.

"Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?" the Client proposes to Greef Karga, who accepts with a nod.

An RA-7 protocol droid sets to work at the bar, preparing drinks for Greef and the Client. Gesturing towards a nearby booth, the Client invites, "Please, have a seat."

As you take your place, the Client begins, "It's regrettable that your people suffered so. Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable."

He turns his attention to Din. "Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire enhances every system it touches." You let out a derisive scoff, prompting the Client to continue, undeterred. "Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside." He gestures towards the window. "Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos."

You grit your teeth and suppress a retort, sensing the Client's emotions swirling before you, a dark maelstrom of black and red hues.

"I would like to see the baby," the Client requests.

Greef Karga clears his throat. "Uh... It's asleep."

"We'll all be quiet. Open the pram," the Client insists, narrowing his eyes. You swallow nervously, feeling a sense of unease. But before the situation can escalate, a stormtrooper approaches the Client and murmurs something discreetly. The Client stands abruptly. "Don't think me to be rude. I must take this call."

A stormtrooper sets up a holoprojector as the Client strides over to it. Under the table, Greef Karga discreetly unbinds his restraints, while Din swiftly does the same for you, his hands deftly removing the cuffs. "Give me the blaster and her saber hilt," he instructs Karga, his tone firm.

"You get one shot," Greef Karga reminds Din as he hands over your saber hilt. Din passes it to you with a determined nod.

Cara leans in close, her voice barely a whisper. "This is bad. You said four."

"Well, there are more. What can I tell you?" Greef Karga replies quietly.

A tense moment hangs in the air, and you sense a shift in the atmosphere. Before you can react, gunfire erupts from outside the cantina, catching everyone off guard. The shots strike the Client and his stormtroopers, sending them sprawling to the ground. Instinctively, you, the Mandalorian, Cara, and Greef dive behind a nearby table for cover. Amidst the chaos, the RA-7 protocol droid is caught in the crossfire and falls to the ground, incapacitated.

Taking cover behind various pillars, you, the Mandalorian, Cara, and Greef cautiously assess the situation. Through the shattered windows of the cantina, a line of death troopers becomes visible, their ominous presence sending a chill down your spine. As if that weren't enough, an Imperial Troop Transport rolls onto the scene, unloading a squad of stormtroopers, further escalating the situation.

"Four stormtroopers?" Cara scoffs, her expression darkening. "This is bad."

The Mandalorian quickly contacts Kuiil via comlink, his voice urgent. "Kuiil? Are you back at the ship yet?" After a tense moment of silence, he presses, "Are you there? Do you copy?"

"Yes!" Kuiil's voice crackles through the comlink.

Din wastes no time. "Are you back at the ship yet?"

"Not yet," Kuiil replies.

"Get back to the ship and get the kid out of here. We're pinned down!" Din's command is sharp and resolute.

The roar of engines interrupts the chaos, drawing your attention outside. An Outland TIE fighter swoops into view, its retractable solar collectors gleaming in the sunlight. The Imperial officer emerges from the cockpit, clad in full black attire, his cape billowing dramatically in the wind. His voice carries over the commotion as he declares, "You have something I want."

"Who's this guy?" Cara asks, her confusion evident.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not," the officer asserts ominously.

"Kuiil, are you back at the ship yet? They're onto us!" Din urgently tries to reach Kuiil through the comlink.

No response.

Din attempts again, growing increasingly desperate. "Kuiil, come in!"

Still, there's silence.

"In a few moments, it will be mine," the officer threatens, his tone dripping with menace.

"Kuiil! Do you copy? Kuiil!" Din's voice echoes with urgency.

"It means more to me than you will ever know," the officer adds, his words sending a chill down your spine.

"Kuiil! Are you there? Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil, come in," Din pleads desperately.

"Kuiil? Are you there? Do you copy? Kuiil? Kuiil!"

TAGLIST: @wastingspaces @avengersheart @lunatic1012 @keepingupwiththeskywalkers @mxltifxnd0m @syviiss @luckyzipperscissorsbat @avengersheart @dins-riduur-anthe @lizlil @n7cje @scoliobean @ofmusesandsecrets

[skykind]

The Clone Wars: Interpreting Key Scenes About Attachment in Seasons 1 & 6

In which Anakin goes full damsel-in-distress, and Ahsoka and Yoda repeatedly save his bacon

Attachment—every Star Wars fan’s favorite stress-free topic, right?? Well, I’m pleased to offer you a measured post that analyzes the thoughtful and generous-hearted explanation of attachment provided by The Clone Wars in the season one episode "Jedi Crash" (S1.13) and the season six episode "Sacrifice" (S6.13). "Jedi Crash," chock full of teachable moments as it is, both demonstrates and has characters explain a particular nuance of the Jedi’s in-universe beliefs about attachment, while the more mature and subtle "Sacrifice" shows Yoda implement this belief without explicitly addressing attachment as a topic.

So, what nuance does the pair of episodes explore? The Jedi are not in the business of sacrificing lives. Not the few, not the one, even for the many. Not if there is any other good and just path left open to them—no matter how difficult that path may be. Which is actually to say, the only life a Jedi is truly prepared to sacrifice is their own.

This refusal to sacrifice others relates to the Jedi Order’s beliefs about attachment because characters who Jedi personally care about are regularly in peril throughout The Clone Wars and other parts of canon, and sometimes as the “few” rather than the “many.” "Jedi Crash" and "Sacrifice" show how Jedi navigate having personal relationships and upholding their commitment to saving as many lives as possible.

It takes until the season six episode for the show to fully explore this topic, as it’s a bit bleak in the context of a pending genocide committed by a Jedi (Anakin) who both fails to grasp the concept of personal sacrifice and who falls for the trap of a false dilemma in the context of attachment. Please read the following definition, as false dilemmas also play a role in a test Yoda faces in "Sacrifice."

Definition: False dilemma "A false dilemma, also referred to as false dichotomy or false binary, is an informal fallacy based on a premise that erroneously limits what options are available. The source of the fallacy lies not in an invalid form of inference but in a false premise."

I’m going to spend most of my time on the more complex and beautiful "Sacrifice" (S6.13), but "Jedi Crash" (S1.13) still has interesting things to say and provides an important foundation for both this essay and "Sacrifice" itself.

Season 1: Young Ahsoka Grapples With the Meaning of Attachment

Fans who take it upon themselves to explain the Jedi Order’s canon approach to attachment often nod to a series of conversations between Ahsoka and Aayla in S1.13, or what I think of as the Intro to Attachment episode. I’ve seen some fans make their task harder by leaving out a crucial implication of the following statement, spoken by Aayla: "Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one."   What are fans missing about this statement in the context of "Jedi Crash"?

Nothing about it says a Jedi's first goal shouldn't be saving 1,001 lives in this hypothetical scenario. Save both the one life and the thousand. Just don't lose a thousand to save one. It's a shame that some fans out there in the attachment trenches don't seem to have picked up on this distinction, because I instead see folks using the following as an example: Jedi should be willing to sacrifice one life to save the thousand. That's not the first step!

Step one: aim to save all lives. Step two: if forced to choose by circumstance, prioritize the many over the few, even if the few includes those a Jedi loves.

In the opening scenes of "Jedi Crash," Ahsoka saves Anakin's life by going back for him when he would otherwise have died in the explosion of Aayla's Venator, and she then contributes to saving a group of lives that were simultaneously on the line as Anakin's hung in the balance. The narrative doesn't criticize her decision to return for Anakin, as step one—"aim to save all lives"—is an option at the time and the correct path to take.

It is only when prioritizing Anakin's wellbeing would condemn many other people that the show, via Aayla, criticizes Ahsoka's choices. After Ahsoka rescues an injured Anakin, she doesn't want to leave his side to provide some of the help I mentioned in the above paragraph; she also doesn't want to divert power from Anakin's life support to the smaller ship the group is escaping on. Without that diverted power, the ship would have crashed into a star—and everyone aboard would have died. Because Ahsoka is simply an overwrought teenager and not actually evil or foolish, Aayla manages to talk sense into her and Ahsoka helps the ship avoid the star and land on an unidentified planet.

This is not her last brush with attachment in the episode; Ahsoka doesn’t wish to leave a still-injured Anakin behind—to be guarded by Rex—when Aayla orders the bulk of the group to search for assistance, even though Ahsoka staying with Anakin would rob the group of her skills at a time when they’re in serious need of help.

Aayla again gets through to Ahsoka, and they proceed to have their conversation about attachment while on the road; this conservation includes Aayla’s key line, "Don't lose a thousand lives just to save one."

How does a still-learning Ahsoka reply to this line? She says, in a doubtful tone, "Maybe, but that doesn't mean that I can't try to save his life."

Ahsoka, you’re right, that doesn’t mean you can’t try to save his life, but you’ve got to apply some parameters so you don’t condemn a bunch of other people instead—meaning you also need to listen to Aayla.

Crucially, we later see that by setting aside her obsessive worry for Anakin and taking "step two" as I outline it above ("if forced to choose by circumstance, prioritize the many over the few") on the planet the escape ship lands on, Ahsoka actually accomplishes "step one": everyone lives! Anakin survives—the one life—because they find a village that's home to a medic, and Ahsoka helps save their GAR contingent and the villagers (as of the next episode)—the thousand.

Ahsoka: "You were right all along, Master Secura." Aayla: "About what?" Ahsoka: "If I had stayed with Anakin, we probably wouldn't have found this village in time to save him [from his injuries]."

Season 6: The Morality of Sacrifice

Season six's "Sacrifice" (S6.13) isn’t overtly about attachment, but it provides a case study for the “save all lives whenever possible including people you personally care about” model laid out by "Jedi Crash" without belaboring the point. By which I mean, there’s no heavy-handed dialogue.

Like the season two episode I analyzed in my first meta post, “Sacrifice” is saying three things at once, but unlike in “Lightsaber Lost,” these narrative strands are closely intertwined.

The literal plot: Yoda faces and passes a test so he can learn to be a force ghost.

The dramatically ironic metaphor: the time of the Jedi in a galaxy far, far away and in the galaxy we call home is drawing to a close (one week after The Clone Wars’ fifth season ended in March 2013, Lucasfilm announced the show was being cancelled; the show's sixth and then-final season was released in March 2014).

The morality tale for all ages, but particularly older audiences: We can’t control the advent of certain painful and inevitable endings, but we can control how we respond to them. The choices we make, the way we live, even the way we die—they matter. (Anakin is going to fall.) (And someday, Anakin is also going to return to the light.)

I will only be analyzing small portions of the first and third points, but wanted to lay out all three, if simply to show just how much this remarkable episode has to say.

“Sacrifice” concludes a three-part arc in which Yoda must pass a series of tests proving him ready to learn the secrets of Jedi-style immortality from the deceased Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who says he lives on, ghost-like, as part of the living force. "Sacrifice" contains Yoda’s final and most dangerous test.

In the episode’s climactic scene, Yoda faces the cloaked master Sith in a vision, and believes he has a chance to either discover Sidious’ true identity (i.e., that he’s Palpatine) or defeat him and thus help end the war for the good of the galaxy. He can’t do so, however, while also focusing on keeping a now-unconscious Anakin from falling to his death. If Yoda prioritizes Anakin’s life in this moment—by taking the time and energy to place him somewhere safe—instead of immediately pursuing Sidious, does that mean Yoda is attached to Anakin? Or is saving Anakin’s life part of an ethical path forward Yoda must discover? Let’s find out as we face Yoda’s test alongside him!

Long stretches of this episode have little or no dialogue, and understanding “Sacrifice” often depends on interpreting characters’ facial expressions and actions, and analyzing symbolism. This makes the episode hard to summarize, and the act of summarizing risks becoming an act of interpretation. As I want us all to start on the same footing, I’m going to provide direct quotes from the canon starwars.com summary alongside screencaps, rather than write an overview myself. I also just like the official summary: it’s very evocative, and likely draws from the script.

Summary

In this episode, Yoda travels to the "Valley of the Dark Lords" on the abandoned Sith world of Moraband. He tussles with some Sith spirits, and then…

'In the dark tomb on Moraband, Yoda enters a large chamber where the ancient Sith would sacrifice Jedi. The five Priestesses emerge before him and warn Yoda that the next trial is not of their doing — it is instead created from the absolute darkness of this place, and it is not under their control.'

'On Coruscant, in a ceremonial chamber lined with statues, Sidious leads Dooku to a sacrificial altar basin. Sidious knows that Yoda is on Moraband. The Dark Lord explains that the strong Force-bond between Yoda and Dooku can be exploited to reach out through a ripple in the Force. 'Producing a knife, Sidious cuts Dooku's hand, allowing a single drop of blood to fall into the water-filled basin. He and Dooku together zap the water with their Force lightning, while Sidious recites an ancient Sith incantation in the Balc tongue. Sidious dips his face toward the basin. He now wields the power of dark illusion, and will lead Yoda into a trap.'

'In the Moraband execution chamber, Yoda sees the withered form of Sifo-Dyas chained by lightning shackles to stone pillars. He begs to be released, offering in exchange the identity of the Sith Lord. Sifo-Dyas' mad eyes shine red and yellow. Yoda refuses the offer. Sifo-Dyas suddenly transforms into a cackling Sidious, and Yoda is surrounded by chains of energy. 'The Jedi Master suddenly awakens in the hold of a gunship, flanked by clone troopers of the 501st and Anakin Skywalker. Yoda is disoriented; he is in the midst of a mission. Anakin explains that a rogue shuttle slipped past the Coruscant security grid, and has been tracked to the industrial sector.'

Summary of the summary: They believe Dooku is on the shuttle, and traveling to meet the Sith Master. At last they can discover who is behind the war! Yoda orders the 501st to pursue, and they follow the shuttle to an abandoned building in a Coruscant industrial district. ‘The Sith must not be allowed to escape. They must be executed.’ Anakin duels Dooku while Yoda pursues Sidious. Anakin ends up injuring and then beheading Dooku, just as he will in the future.

I'm now going to flip the order of the screenshots (plus the one gif I could find) and the quotes from the official summary as we take a detailed walk through the episode's climactic sequence. Putting them in this order really adds an element of dread.

'Sidious flees to a catwalk extending from the tower, and Yoda gives chase. The Dark Lord lights his blade, the two Masters engage in a whirling duel. Anakin rushes out to help Yoda, but runs headlong into a Force grip wielded by Sidious.'

'Sidious blasts Anakin with Force lightning, sending the young Jedi crashing to the catwalk in a heap.'

'He then blasts Yoda, who blocks the lightning with the Force. The discharge of energy rattles the catwalk.'

'Sidious uses his lightsaber to cut the support beams of the catwalk.'

'The structure starts to collapse.'

'As it cants forward, Anakin's unconscious body slides towards a deadly fall.'

'Yoda halts his pursuit of the Dark Lord to catch Anakin with the Force.'

'Sidious cackles at Yoda's predicament. Sidious tells Yoda to let Anakin fall, and thus thwart all of the Dark Lord's plans. Yoda refuses.'

Palpatine: "Can you save him? Why not let him go? Let him die, and you can stop all that I will do."

Close Reading and Analysis

Palpatine taunts Yoda with the choice before him—though it isn't a true choice, of course. This is a vision controlled by a Sith, and Palpatine’s goal as the vision’s mastermind is to weaken Yoda by undermining his moral code and drawing him to the dark side. Regardless, the vision feels real to Yoda, and he’s been presented with two options: save Anakin, or let Anakin die so he can “stop all that [Palpatine] will do.”

The choice serves two storytelling purposes: as presented by Palpatine, it represents temptation and a test for Yoda, while the broader narrative presents it as a teachable moment for the audience. Is it right to prioritize the life of a single person in this moment, when Yoda thinks there’s a chance he could stop the Sith?

Yoda: "No! Sacrifice all I am ready to do. The future is not yours yet. Tempted I will not be."

We get our answer when Yoda says “No!” and lets himself be hit by Palpatine’s force lightning without defending himself, so he can instead focus on moving Anakin to safety; only when Anakin is safe does Yoda go after Palpatine.

When Palpatine taunts Yoda about the choice he needs to make, he actually establishes a false dilemma, “an informal fallacy based on a premise that erroneously limits what options are available." Yoda begins to pass his test by finding a third way forward. He has one other good and just path left open to him, and he takes it—and the path proves difficult indeed.

'Yoda hurls his lightsaber at the remaining struts of the catwalk, collapsing it, sending he and Sidious tumbling to their certain doom. Yoda grapples with Sidious as they fall, the Dark Lord cackling all the while.'

This third path allows Yoda to first save Anakin—in a matter of seconds—and then pursue the Sith, but the circumstances of his showdown with Palpatine are now more dangerous than they might otherwise have been, given that in the leadup, Yoda took a full blast of Force lightening without attempting to block it, and the catwalk sustained further structural damage.

My post’s introduction covers Yoda’s choices in broad strokes: “The Jedi are not in the business of sacrificing lives. Not the few, not the one, even for the many. Not if there is any other good and just path left open to them.”

There are still nuances to unpack, however, so let’s turn to a crucial moment of dialogue from the episode:

Palpatine: "Can you save him? Why not let him go? Let him die, and you can stop all that I will do." Yoda: "No! Sacrifice all I am ready to do. The future is not yours yet. Tempted I will not be."

I want to touch on one part of this exchange: The writers chose to have Yoda say he is ready to sacrifice “all” when we’ve established he is quite unwilling to sacrifice Anakin.

This dialogue suggests Yoda has set firm limits around the concept and ethics of sacrifice. He is both willing to sacrifice whatever meets his definition of “all” and clear Anakin isn't part of this “all”—given that he almost literally holds Anakin’s life in his hands during this scene and could therefore easily sacrifice Anakin. Instead, Yoda chooses to focus on keeping Anakin from falling.

So how does Yoda define “all”? Heartbreakingly, he exemplifies another point I made earlier: “… the only life a Jedi is truly prepared to sacrifice is their own.” This episode signals over and over again that it is about both sacrifice and choice—and the ethics thereof. Yoda can make the choice to sacrifice himself to defeat the Sith, but it would be unethical and un-Jedi to sacrifice Anakin, a young person in his care, and yes, someone he personally cares about.

This means it isn’t a sign of attachment that Yoda takes the time to save Anakin. It is instead a sign of boundless love, generosity, and sacrifice. It is the action of a true Jedi.

Even the Sith Master himself confirms this when he leaves the vision and says to Dooku, "We have failed to break Master Yoda. He is strong. We will need more time if we are to defeat him and the Jedi."

I have to take a moment to note one of the great uses of symbolism in this episode: Palpatine engineers Anakin's literal fall that Yoda protects him from in the previous sequence, and it presages Anakin’s later fall to the dark side. Except Anakin will of course go on to make choices that are meaningfully the opposite of Yoda’s when Palpatine tempts Anakin and presents him with a false dilemma in Revenge of the Sith.

Conclusion

And with that note, it’s time to start wrapping up this very long post. Ultimately, there are three key things I really like about the way “Jedi Crash” and “Sacrifice” present the Jedi’s beliefs about attachment: they canonically and clearly make space for Jedi to have warm, healthy personal relationships, and go so far as to say it would be a dark act for Yoda to sacrifice Anakin; they counter some of fandom’s most cruel headcanons about Yoda (I’m not getting into that here); and they provide a useful framework to evaluate Anakin’s choices in Revenge of the Sith.

In the film, Anakin had a third and more difficult path available to him that he chose not to take. Rather than choosing between Padme’s survival or the Jedi and the Republic—the two sides of his false dilemma—he should have tried to simultaneously save Padme’s life, the Jedi Order, and democracy.

Given that Anakin himself is responsible for Padme’s death and the fall of the temple, his choices have enough impact on key events to determine whether or not this third path results in a brighter future—one where many more people survive, Padme and at least some Jedi among them. This third path, this brighter future, must be in reach from a narrative standpoint for Anakin’s test to be a true one. But while Yoda and Luke pass similar tests (Luke a few decades in the future), Anakin fails his, and so Padme, the Jedi, and democracy die—due in part to Anakin’s inability to master the nuanced beliefs about attachment and self-sacrifice laid out by “Jedi Crash” and “Sacrifice.” Side note: Jedi first aim to save as many lives as possible, and so no true Jedi would have argued against saving Padme’s life regardless of her relationship with Anakin.

Back to "Sacrifice," as Yoda awakens from his Sith-led vision...

'The serene Priestess welcomes him. He has passed this challenge... As the Priestess disappears in a glow of light, Yoda sees the future, including the moment of his death and his own last words. '... soon, Yoda stands beneath the great tree at the Jedi Temple. Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi approach Yoda, so he can report to the Jedi Council. But Yoda cannot say much of his journey. He senses the war's end approaching, and knows there is no victory to be had in the Clone Wars. But another path to victory lies ahead for the Jedi, a path that is unknown to the Sith.'

At this point perhaps a year before the genocide of the Jedi, Master Yoda's learning-to-become-a-ghost journey and a vision of his death — "There is another Skywalker" — combine to give him good reason to believe some hope remains for at least a few Jedi and their allies.

Here's what Yoda says to Mace and Obi-Wan, and it's crucial that they're the only other characters in this scene: “Yes, open to us a path remains that unknown to the Sith is. Through this path, victory we may yet find. Not victory in the Clone Wars, but victory for all time.”

These three Jedi, the leaders of their people, can choose a narrow, barely there third path on behalf of the Order, and they must take it — no matter how agonizing it proves to be. No matter how much they must sacrifice to walk it. (And in the meantime, they’re not shirking other major duties: they’re still fighting for the best possible present and future for the Order and the galaxy, still leading the Clone Wars and trying to find out Sidious’ identity.)

As the episode “Sacrifice” draws to a close, it visually highlights a three-petaled flower that symbolically blooms as a sign of new hope for the Jedi who will soon travel this third path. Each petal represents one of the Skywalkers who will finally see the Sith defeated and democracy restored to the galaxy: Leia, Luke, and Anakin/Vader, in the moments he returns to the light.

They will one day anchor the end of the pathway, each connected to the others (through biological and sometimes chosen relationships) as the petals are connected in the flower, and that’s plenty of symbolism to be getting on with, but then! The flower ends up being an even stronger sign of hope and connection, as the three petals are also a metaphor for Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan.

These three Jedi anchor the beginning of the pathway with hope clutched in their hands, each connected to the others by shared culture, shared experiences, friendship, and respect. And in the final days of the war and during Order 66, they go a step beyond connected: they are united by the bravery they each demonstrate, the sacrifices they each make, and the impact they each have on the galaxy.

And so, this lovely episode closes on a scene of sacrifice, hope, and human connection.

[writerbuddha]

Good evening. A short while ago, I was researching about Prana and found out about how it is categorized based on the so-called Vāyus, and how each Vāyu is located in a region of the human body. It is known that Qi was one of the inspirations for the Force. So I wonder if the Vāyus originating from parts of the human body (hearts, lungs, etc.) are not similar to midi-chlorians that help generate the Force. Many fans keep saying how midi-chlorians "ruined the religiosity" of the Force, by making it quantitative, measurable. I would like to know if there is a relationship between midi-chlorians and Vāyus.

Hello! :)

Qi and Prana are a bit more closely related to the energy that is life, they are concepts referring to the rhythm or flow of reality.

Midi-chlorians are often misunderstood, which feeds into a larger pattern of misunderstanding the Force itself. In Lucas' first trilogy, Obi-Wan Kenobi describes the Force as “what gives the Jedi his power. It’s an energy field, created by all living things. It surrounds and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” Fans tend to recite a bastardized version of this, stating, the Force is an “energy created by life, connecting everything.” They usually assert, in the Star Wars galaxy, life has a byproduct of some sort, an energy that pools around them, engulfing and therefore connecting everything. But in truth, when Obi-Wan describes the Force as an "energy field, created by all living things" he basically says, "The ocean is a vast expanse of water, created by all the drops." Because what he says is that all living things, as they are - without any mention of some kind of special ability to ooze some kind of mystic mist out of themselves - together, make up an energy field. In other words, all living things are actually energy – or as Yoda says, "luminous beings" not "crude matter" - and the Force is the field of energy into which they all add up to, or rather, what they are in their undivided wholeness. So, the heart of Star Wars cosmology is, even though it's only said out aloud in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is the continous cycling between these two sides or dimensions of the Force, of life. It's like water cycling between the dimension of undifferentiated unity, the ocean, and the dimension of multiplicity, the myriad and myriad drops.

In Episode VI, Leia tells Luke, "You have a power I don't understand and could never have" to which he replies, she is wrong: "You have that power, too. In time, you'll learn to use it as I have. The Force is strong in my family." This is the clearest indication that the ability to wield the Force as the Jedi Knights do has to do something with genes and it's not an ability everyone has. This doesn't mean that others don't have the Force within them, it simply means, this is a talent of some sort. In the second trilogy, in The Phantom Menace, this is explored in detail: it's revealed, those who have the ability to wield the Force have a high amount of midi-chlorians in their cells. Qui-Gon Jinn explains, "Midi-chlorians are a microscopic life form that resides within all living cells… We are symbionts with them… without midi-chlorians, life could not exist and we would have no knowledge of the Force." So, we get to know that the most basic units of life are the midi-chlorians, living things who make all other forms of life possible, living at the core of all living cells, allowing them to live, divide and form multicellular life forms, like humans. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it's explained that midi-chlorians born in the wellspring of life, which is "the foundation of what connects the living Force and the cosmic Force." The living Force refers to the dimension of myriad and myriad individual life forms - the dimension of drops - whereas the cosmic Force refers to the dimension of the undifferentiated unity of life - the dimension of the ocean.

Problem is that there are many fans for whom the Force was nothing more but a paranormal buzz and cool gobbledygook, i.e. something "vague and mysterious" to their spaceships. For them, the fact that the ability of wielding the Force was explored and explained on the cellular level "ruins the religiosity" of the Force, making it "quantitative, measurable," and it turns the Force into "science."

[ghostinthegallery]

As a transformers fan I love robots who have divorce drama stretching millions of years but also have a body count in the trillions. Thus it has taken little convincing but I think I shall investigate these undead robots.

In the event of my death I'm Telling. This is your fault. How do I start wading into this mess bc my only encounter with Warhammer was when a very drunk frat guy tried to explain the horus heresy at a party.

Well you are in for a treat then! Robots with marriage/divorce drama, severe mental health issues, and body counts best measured on a planetary scale are our specialty in Chez Necron.

If you want a setting overview before you dive in, Bricky's two part series going over all the factions is quite solid. Long, but hey this has been around since the 80s. (no drunken Horus Heresy rambles*)

First, watch this clip of Trazyn the Infinite, as an amuse bouche before your meal.

As for books, there are two main places I'd start for necrons:

The Infinite and the Divine- the classic starting point for necrons (and 40k in general). Trazyn the Infinite, lord of the Prismatic Galleries, battles against Orikan the Diviner, master chronomancer and prophet. Clash of godlike beings over...what amounts to a magic Rubik's Cube. It's so petty. This fight spans epochs, multiple wars, and one legal case. There's no heterosexual explanation for their dynamic. Also this book has dinosaurs. Some of whom carry shuriken canons.

Now, this book has a ton of 40k stuff. Most major factions make an appearance so there's a very good chance there will be words/things that a new person is unfamiliar with. If that doesn't bother you, awesome! Proceed. Ask me things, I'll explain that an aeldar is just a space elf or whatever. Or watch a lore vid beforehand. However if that is a turn off I'd recommend starting with...

Severed- Novella, so shorter which is nice. Do you like angst? The horrors of immortality? Lord/knight love story? One very silly guy? Then meet Zahndrekh and his loyal bodyguard Obyron as they set out to conquer a planet where the necrons are...wrong. Complicating factors include Obyron's crippling depression, Zahndrekh's asshole ex, and the fact Zahndrekh is insane and believes them all to still be the creatures of flesh and blood they were before a bunch of star gods ate their souls and turned them into robots. Prepare to cry.

After those, I cannot recommend the Twice Dead King duology highly enough. Oltyx, an exiled prince attempts to save his dynasty from destruction while battling his own creeping madness. He's got an adorable crush on his hot best friend. The voices in his head were put there on purpose so its fine. Well most of them were. Everything is fine. I didn't cry multiple times reading these...

Then refer to my reading guide for the good short stories and boom! The wonderful world of gay undead space robots is open before you.

I accept full responsibilities for my actions. If you die I promise to say mostly nice things at your funeral.

*mini rant, but I honestly think the Horus Heresy is one of the worst ways to introduce someone to the 40k world. It's a series with like 70 books! Many of them are bad! You need a flowchart to keep track of the timeline! I know there's some good books and characters, power to all who love the HH, but it is not newbie friendly! Also it only has humans which robs you of some of the best parts of the setting (like...y'know. Necrons). Ease people in, then they can make an informed decision about tackling the mountain of buff space men with daddy issues shooting each other.

[ficsbyabby]

Zombie Talk

Pairing: Peter Parker x gn!Reader

Warnings: mentions of kidnapping, experimentation, death of parents, Nothing graphic though!

Words: 629

a/n: So this is pretty bad. It's been sitting in my drafts for literal months because I just couldn't get any further with it. I sort of have an idea for a sequel to it so if anyone likes it lmk. If not, I won't be offended. This is definitely not my best.

You were enhanced. Your parents were SHIELD scientists, excellent ones. Their focus was on the famed supersoldier serum, how it worked, and its impacts. Naturally, this caught the attention of HYDRA.

They planned to kidnap your parents and interrogate them on what they knew. It was just bad luck that you happened to be sick that day, forcing your parents to bring you to work instead of taking you to daycare.

You were separated from your parents, held in a cell. You were only 4 years old. HYDRA told your parents that you were dead when in reality, you were experimented on. You were the critical test subject in operation to raise supersoldiers without a serum. They used radiation and other measures to alter your cells.

The results weren't as they had hoped for. Your parents, devastated, refused to give up anything. They attempted to escape multiple times until HYDRA killed them.

And you, you didn't become like Steve Rogers or the infamous Winter Soldier. You developed other powers. You had a sense for all life around you; you were your own radar, making you a formidable fighter. And you could teleport, not far, just a hundred feet at a time. But it was enough to make you valuable to HYDRA. It was enough to keep you alive.

For ten years, you lived in various HYDRA based across the world. They trained you to become a fighter, the next great asset. And you were clever; you played along, keeping you free from any memory wipes.

Then, the Avengers showed up. They raided the HYDRA base and took you with them. And life as you knew it changed immediately.

Initially, you were terrified of them. Hydra had warned you of the world's attitude towards "enhanced," as they were referred to. You were told that they thought all powers were dangerous and needed to be regulated. So, for the first three months in the compound, you refused to show your abilities.

This was frustrating to the team. They wanted you to join them, but you continued to hide your powers. The footage they had of you showed that you would be a formidable force. The majority of the team attempted to convince you that you could be incredible.

Surprisingly, it was Tony who left you alone. He believed that you had to come to your own conclusions about the team and its trustworthiness. And he was right. Watching the team, you saw them act as a family, treating each other with kindness and value. Fear remained in you, only natural when accounting for the last ten years of your life. But what truly convinced you was one Peter Parker.

Peter was ecstatic when Tony told him about the new teenager residing in the tower. At only a year younger than him, he hoped you would become a good friend. Initially discouraged by your reluctance to share anything about you, he continued his attempts as if you were a classmate, not a hydra rescue. He never asked about your powers or your prospects as an avenger. Instead, Peter took it upon himself to introduce you to Star Wars and video games.

It was during one of these gaming sessions that you revealed your powers. Peter had brought a horror game for you to play together, complete with jump scares from killer zombies. After one such scare, Peter was panting heavily.

"God, y/n! What if one of those comes after us?"

Winking at Peter, you responded, "Don't worry, I'll feel 'em."

"Hm?"

"That's what I do, feel all the life around me."

"Do zombies count as life, if they're the undead?"

This response made you laugh and sparked a debate between the two of you, complete with finding dead plants around the tower.

[the-oracle-of-the-lost]

Section 31 liveblog

time for a liveblog i guess?

as a disclaimer to this i've been in a Real State for the past week or so and am having really bad brain fog (this is the first day i've felt good enough to watch something with a plot all week) so if i say something stupid or miss something please forgive me, i'm so fried right now and words are very hard.

i also have not been looking forward to this movie that much and was not a huge fan of the trailer and some of the reviews i've heard but i'm going into this with an open mind! i love Michelle Yeoh & Emperor Georgiou and i've heard a few mutuals say that this ended up being a fun heist movie which i'm 100% down for.

spoilers under the cut.

the little mirrored intro is very fun

unfortunately i am a sucker for movies that begin with a quote

one of the parts i was excited for from the trailer was showing more of Emperor Georgiou's backstory & the Terran Empire pre-Disco so i'm glad we're starting out with this

so was young Georgiou in the Terran Hunger Games or something?

or a competition to become emperor? hm. that doesn't feel like it really fits in with the whole Terran ethos of "you can only advance by killing your superior and taking their power" but sure i guess.

yeah the whole competition feels pretty contrived on a worldbuilding basis

also i understand why we had to make Emperor Georgiou a more sympathetic character (and i love the more nuanced sympathetic look at her we get in Disco s3) but ngl i would have liked her having a harsher more unsympathetic backstory so that her growth in Discovery isn't her coming back to her roots but her genuinely growing as a person in a way she couldn't in the Mirror Universe and having her be redeemable because she was in love is... not my favorite trope.

canonical map!!!! i love looking at the maps people create for Star Trek and i know we get so little canon information about whether things are located

(okay super nitpicky but on the map why is there a demilitarized zone near Cardassia listed when the Cardassian DMZ wouldn't be there until the start of DS9. i guess it could be another DMZ but i like nothing if not to hyperanalyze things)

(Trill is not in the Federation right now (or at least is beyond the Federation border whether or not they were a part of the Federation before this treaty) and interestingly is pretty close to Cardassia!! marking this for possible DS9 worldbuilding and how Trill might have been more directly affected by the Dominion War than other Federation planets)

okay back to the actual movie

is there going to be a yellow filter over the whole movie? i mean it's better than Discovery's aggressive blue lighting but i'm begging Paramount to invest in some decent lighting and color grading

over ten minutes in and i'm getting the sense that this is going to be a fun enough space heist movie but there's just no reason it needed to be a Star Trek movie (or that we needed to continue Disco's track of ruining what Section 31 was meant to be)

these costumes are very fun!! i'm glad we're getting fun fashion again and not just the same mostly modern human fashion we see in so much of new Trek

yeah this is continuing my Section 31 complaints from Disco as i knew it would.... i'm not as against exploring them as some people in the fandom are (i think the idea that there is a bad arm of the Federation working under the table is interesting and true to life) but Section 31 shouldn't be a fully fledged division with clear operatives and resources, it should continue as it was in DS9 – a few lone morally corrupt agents who manipulate Starfleet officers & anyone else relevant to gain control on Federation society in a "the ends justify the means" way. i honestly think part of the issue is thinking that the "section" references a division or department when it actually (iirc) refers to the section in the Federation founding document that allows for extreme measures to be taken in the interests of security and the fact that it was never a fully fledged division and didn't have physical resources was part of the point.

who wrote "Deltan sexy time charm" and thought that was a good line to keep in a movie?

tbh i wasn't a huge fan of the editing style in the trailer but in situ it's fun in a camp way. idk if others agree but it's fun for Star Trek to branch out into new types of style & tone instead of just doing epic space action flicks all the time.

okay what's with the singer just singing like three words at a time in between scene cuts? i know i just said i was kind of jiving with the editing but? not that? (also... just never a huge fan of putting modern music in future/alien settings.)

okay the mech design is kind of stupid (and i really wish Star Trek would be consistent about cyborgs & cybernetic enhancements!!)

they were really trying to go for the Suicide Squad vibes huh

not sure about any of these one off characters (too Suicide Squad-y) but i appreciate they were trying to go for some new styles of characters and not just the usual Vulcan, Klingon, etc.

i'll reiterate the "no one in Starfleet is supposed to know about Section 31, that's the point!" again but i'll stop going on about it now. it's not fun to watch a movie where i'm disagreeing with the point of it the whole way through.

the phase pod is a cool tech idea but man it's overpowered if it's used again

yeah mystery guy with a mask? definitely Georgiou's love interest from the beginning who she scarred right?

interested to see what could possibly be the plot justification for him turning up in another universe.

disclaimer that i'm fully turned away from the screen during any fight sequence because they're gonna give me a headache if i look at it so i will not have much to add about any of the fighting (other than pleading Hollywood to change their currently favored quick cut fight scene style so i can watch action movies again)

oh or masked guy isn't San i guess? (or he lived but i'm struggling to work out how)

oh so very interesting canon info if this movie is sticking with the idea of the Eugenics wars happening in the late 20th/early 21st century a la TOS and not pushing it back like SNW to keep up with our present. honestly giving more credence to the theory that SNW is a completely separate timeline (but mildly confusing given that both SNW & this movie are based off of Disco and there aren't really any timeline divergent points i can think of?)

i am actually glad to see a character from our present (ish) who've time jumped to the Star Trek future, i always thought that was a really underexplored concept that was brought up a few times in TOS & TNG but never fleshed out.

okay yeah "guy who lived through the Eugenics Wars but was forcibly turned into an Augment and hates himself because of it" is a really solid character base.

however a lot of the other side characters are... not my favorite.

okay calling a character "Dada" pronounced like the alternate pronunciation of Data is a good bit

i was going to be a little annoyed by how common the crossings between universes seems but honestly it's pretty fucking easy in DS9 to go between the Federation and the Terran Empire so i guess this is just how it is. honestly it's funnier that way.

this is the third time i've had to refresh paramount and i'm not even halfway through the movie. please fix your fucking website.

Zeph, Quasi, & Fuzz are so insufferable, can we just kill them all already? sorry not sorry.

yeah Garrett's definitely the mole.

mmm i just realized that Alok's backstory with being adopted by a warlord and forced to be like her is exactly what Georgiou did to mirror!Michael. that's tasty actually. (on second thought it's probably meant to be paralleling Georgiou & San but i care about mirror!Michael a lot more than San tbh)

(thank god he's dead)

ok ok i think it was Fuzz who possessed Garrett and made her murder Zeph.

i'm starting to like this movie and then they'll write "chaos goblin" into the script.

okay well i was mostly right.

and masked guy is San! who would have seen that coming!

kinda digging Georgiou & Garrett's relationship here.

okay i wasn't sure about having one of the characters sympathetic to the Bomb That Destroys Everything but the justification that it allows microbes like him to live makes sense!

we truly only see Rachel Garrett on the definitive two worst days of her life. i hope she gets to like. take a nap sometimes or something.

ooh alien kid's toy is very fun.

we only have 10 minutes left how is this supposed to be wrapped up?

yikes that's a nasty place to be stabbed

yeah i don't necessarily dislike the Georgiou/San storyline but the emotional beats are not really hitting for me. love the potential for this fucked up dynamic though and i'm sure some fanfic writers are gonna have fun out there.

yeah if that bomb was meant to destroy quadrants, there is no way anyone is surviving being that close

Georgiou should have kept the cool scar on her face!! i know they have dermal regenerators and everything but have you considered that scars are sexy?

eh not a big fan of this ending. i was starting to forget about the reasons i dislike Section 31 and now i'm remembering again.

JAMIE LEE CURTIS?????

okay we're all done.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

it was fine. idk people are review bombing the movie & kicking up such a fuss about it but other than the concept of Section 31 being used this way (which. again. Discovery led us down this path, it isn't unique to this movie), it was a fine & fun movie. some of the side characters were annoying, there was some cringe dialogue every once in awhile, the plot was a little contrived, and i wish the emotional beats hit a little bit more but there were some moments i really liked! i thought Alok was a very good character and will be Thinking about him. i liked Rachel Garrett a lot. obviously Michelle Yeoh was great. and ultimately, it doesn't really touch any part of the Star Trek canon that i care about so there wasn't anything to ruin or anything that i could super latch onto.

ultimately i do think it might have been a better movie if it just... wasn't Section 31 and it was just a group of vigilantes unassociated with the Federation but i think the powers that be were soooo obsessed with getting Section 31 back into Star Trek despite literally no one caring about it.

so yeah – it's a fun movie, i genuinely had a pretty good time watching it aside from the occasional cringe dialogue. like the way people were talking about it, i was expecting Nemesis levels of bad movie (which was a movie so bad that i had to take a walk in the middle of the night after watching it) or Into Darkness but it was Fine. i honestly had a better time with it than the AOS movies and would encourage people to watch it with an open mind. overall, it's like a 6/10 for me.

[elbiotipo]

One of the Spelljammer-like settings I worked the most on was and alternate history where the Byzantines went into an alchemical industrial revolution, conquered Venus and Mars and then the stars (the classical constellation plus many many more made up ones). So you got this Space Roman Empire that has conquered many other civilizations, still ruled from Constantinople on Terra. So the technology is industrial but the asethetics are very much all over the place, with sailships flying on the aether powered by crystals and such.

The characters are communist revolutionaries (as in, literal communists, of course with some other kind of referents since this is alternate history) who want the overthrow the Empire, not because it was once good and now corrupted by evil forces (though of course there's a Space Rasputin) but because they're communists and so they oppose empires and want to establish the People's Galactic Republic. They don't want to return to olden days or to defeat a coming evil: they want to change established society. So you have these pair of aristocrats who join a "pirate" crew and slowly as they travel from world to world in their Space Sailship they learn about what the Empire is truly like for those outside the palace. Slowly the revolution begins. They are by the middle of the story the first ones to open fire on the gates of the Astral Palace.

The story is from then on basically taken from the Russian Revolution and Civil War with some Warlord Era China and Napoleonic France for good measure. The revolution intially triumphs, then reactionary forces gather, there is warlords and ideological infighting and tyrants who take over and more. A new order is finally established, through great sacrifice, but the story doesn't end in an utopia, just with a revolutionary state that might or not endure the tests to come. Of course, with space battles.

[haveihitanerve]

Rewatched Far From Home the other day and gotta say- also if you havent seen it- spoilers ahead-

- knowing what I do about Fury and Peter and Tony and everyone that I didn't the first time around- its so obvious to me now that Fury is not actually Fury. Because Fury talks to Tony like… frequently. They’re good friends. Father-son. If it was really Fury, he would have probably remembered Beck from one of his and Tony’s chats- a dude who invented his therapy tech that he then fired for being unstable is probably not something Tony doesn't share. Also, Fury never talks someone down- especially not a teenager. Not to that degree at least. Hes a little harsh, sure. And he doesn't mince his words. But he doesn't criticize. And he doesn't lash out. (also he measures his words. Dude impersonating him spoke wayyy too much. Fury is more careful with everything he says) And when Beck said “fury sent me up here to talk to you, he felt bad” i seriously believed that shit because it is something Fury would do. Anyway maybe its all just hindsight speaking now that I know its not really him but yeah. 

The only thing is the star wars reference and his threat to shoot the next person who interrupts him and peter. That was something i could actually see Fury doing.

[ladamedusoif]

Ornaments (Din Djarin)

A Merry Fic-Mas - December 15

Part of A Merry Fic-Mas: A Holiday Fic Calendar - click for masterlist.

Follow @ladameecrit for my writing updates!

Characters: Din Djarin, Grogu (can be read as part of the ‘Joy’ world)

Warnings: None; set after the end of S3 of The Mandalorian; we’re using Life Day and I don’t care what anyone thinks; reference to Star Wars alcohol; pure unadulterated fluff

Rating: Teen

Word count: 1100

Summary: It’s Din and Grogu’s first Life Day in their new home - but how do you even prepare for that, when you've never celebrated before?

Dividers by @dreamland-gallery

Peli’s droids scurry in fear as soon as they feel Din’s heavy footprints hit the ground after he climbs out of the fighter, and Grogu squeals with delight. Freaked-out droids mean one thing: dad’s back.

He picks up his son and greets Peli. “I hope he was no trouble.”

She leans forward to pat Grogu’s head, throwing in a few ear scritches for good measure. “When has he ever been trouble? Sweet little thing like that, never been trouble to anyone, ain’t that right?”

Grogu coos in agreement as his father sighs. 

“Mind you, he’s all hepped up about Life Day. Never shut up about it the whole time. He’s really coming on with the vocabulary, it’s impressive.”

Din tilts his head and looks into the little boy’s enormous eyes. He had never really been the kind of person to celebrate Life Day - who would he have celebrated it with, for a start? - but Grogu had become a little obsessed with the holiday since learning about it at school. 

“I hope you’ve got something planned for him, Mando.”

Din shrugs. “I’ll pull something together. Got plenty of time.”

He makes a mental note to find out from Karga what exactly a Life Day celebration should look like.

***

As so often happens, life got in the way of Life Day. A few unexpected jobs, some repairs necessary around the house, and Din’s plans to mark the holiday disappeared into thin air. 

But there was still time, right? It was the eve of Life Day, Din finally had a spare day, and surely a quick trip to the market and stores in town would do the trick. Pick up a few nice things to eat, a few ornaments and decorations, maybe a gift for the little guy. Perfect. Then home, prepare, and rest.

Din was not prepared for the chaos that greeted them in the city. It felt like the entire population of Nevarro had descended and decided to engage in something that looked half-festival, half-riot: smiling and laughing in some quarters, and running around with stressed expressions while managing large piles of carefully-wrapped goods in others. 

Din sighs. So much for the quick trip to the city.

They meet Karga along the main thoroughfare, beaming at the citizens hurrying to and fro on the eve of the holiday, making sure to acknowledge as many as he can to remind them of the bond between the High Magistrate and the people he serves. He opens his arms widely and greets the clan of two warmly.

“Well! Here to soak up the atmosphere, are we? I’m guessing you’re all set at home, this being your first Life Day in the new place.” 

Grogu looks from his father to Karga and makes a mournful little coo. The magistrate raises an eyebrow and stares at the Mandalorian.

“Uh…it was a busy time. Anyway, I just came to get a few things to decorate the cabin and things to eat, and then we’ll get out of here.”

Karga tries not to look too concerned, for Grogu’s sake. He leans closer to Din. “You might get some food, if you try some of the quieter stalls, but by this stage there isn’t a single blue orb ornament left on the planet. I’ll send you a reminder next year, hmmm?”

Din pats Grogu’s head, unsure how he can break it to him that he won’t be decorating his house with the special ornaments like all the other children. He settles on food as a distraction, promising cookies and blue milk as they set off towards some of the less popular stores in the back streets of the city.

***

The cabin is quiet later that night as Din pads around in his long-sleeved undershirt and dark pants, putting away the food and treats purchased for the holiday. He managed to find a little toy bantha as a gift for his son, secreting it in his bag when Grogu got momentarily distracted by a nearby fried food stall. 

But he can’t shake the guilt. This Life Day thing is clearly a bigger deal than he realised, his little boy tried to convey that to him, and he just…forgot. Or assumed it didn’t require preparation. And now Grogu was going to be disappointed. 

“Dank farrik.” 

He pours a little glass of spotchka and takes the toy out of his satchel, placing it on their dining table before wrapping it in a length of red Life Day fabric he’d snagged at the last minute. 

Wrapping is not Din’s forte. As he surveys the lumpy little parcel and drains his glass, he swears to Maker that he’ll make it up to Grogu next Life day.

In his dreams, he hears his son laughing and chattering.

***

Din rises as usual and slides back the door to the main living area of the cabin, preparing to wake Grogu, when he is slapped in the face by - well, he’s not quite sure by what.

He rubs the sleep from his eyes and scratches his head as he looks at the strange, flat object that’s hanging down over the door to his bedroom. Circular. Lightweight.

“Is that…paper?”

He moves around the paper circle to enter the main room and realises that it has been haphazardly coloured blue, the crayon lines making up in enthusiasm what they lack in finesse. 

To his astonishment, there are more blue paper circles in the cabin: on the walls, on the floor, on the table, even inside the fresher. 

Din sits at the table. What was in that spotchka?

The door that leads to Grogu’s room slides open, its tiny occupant invisible as he enters the living area, giggling and cooing, before leaping to the main table where he points excitedly at the mysterious festive decor. 

His father puts two and two together when he spots the telltale bright blue crayon wax still stuck in his little boy’s nails. And on his robe. And, for some reason, on the back of his head.

“Wait - you made these? For us? When?”

Grogu babbles back in the language only he and his father can truly understand.

“Last night? They’re - what are they?” His heart melts when he realises. “They’re Life Day orbs, aren’t they?”

Grogu pulls himself up to his full height, proud as punch, before moving in for a hug. Din blinks hard, bursting with pride at the kindness and determination of this strange little boy.

He reaches down and hands Grogu the red-wrapped gift. “Happy Life Day, buddy.” 

[david-talks-sw]

The Obi-Wan Kenobi comic book adaptation is gonna be illustrated by Salvador Larroca, whose art I despise.

So here's me venting, real quick.

It's not because he traces. It's because he's sloppy about it. A lot of Star Wars artists trace, or at least use references. But they also try to hide it a bit, y'know?

Larroca's so blatantly just taking pictures, tracing the lineart, then keeping that picture but lowering the opacity of the original image, sometimes blurring it too for good measure...

... and finally adding some soft-shaded colors all around it, hoping to make the original pic blend in with its surroundings.

The result? Images where the FACE of the character is hyper-realistic, but the rest of the body is shaded like a comic.

So it's not just tracing. It's copy-pasting.

When I draw, my process is like this one too, for the record. Tracing, lowering the opacity, the whole shebang. But:

I try not to make it as blatant (and even include my references sometimes).

I'm not a trained professional artist who does this by trade.

What kills me is that he knows how to draw, read his Iron Man or Wolverine stuff, the tracing is not as obvious there, sometimes it's not there period!

Like, he COULD do better, he just doesn't fucking wanna 😃

Also, I mean... originally the Star Wars comic book adaptations also offered insight into characters thoughts, included or re-adapted deleted scenes, maybe added some new scenes, maybe showed old ones through a different POV.

Now they don't do any of that (probably because they wanna add as little lore as possible to then avoid as many retcons as possible), it's just "the movie/show but now it's a comic".

If the action will be the same as what was in the show, and the images are traced from the show... what's the point of this adaptation???