I think it's interesting that - in order to make his "free-thinking Jedi" characters hold any semblance of rationality in their arguments - Dave Filoni needs to resort to artificially dehumanizing the other Jedi and painting them all with the same "we dogmatically worship protocol" brush.

He does this with Huyang in the recent Ahsoka episode.

"Lolz he's so narrow-minded, preachy and by-the-book, unable to think outside the box, just like the Jedi in the Prequels."

My first reaction was being amused at the fact that Filoni had to resort to making the Jedi Order's ideals and rules be embodied by a literal machine for his anti-Jedi headcanon to start making sense.

But then I remembered: Huyang isn't just any droid.

In The Clone Wars, he had a sassy personality, he had a pep in his step, he had a sense of humor...

This character was human in his behavior, he was fun and whimsical.

But now he's been reduced to, I dunno, "Jedi C-3PO"? Basically?

"Ha! He's blunt and unsympathetic because he's a droid, but it's funny because the Jedi were the same, they were training themselves to be tactless, emotionless droids."

And Filoni does this with Mace Windu too, in Tales of the Jedi.

Mace, who brought a lightsaber to the throat of a planetary leader to defend the endangered Zillo Beast...

... and who went waaay past his mandate by mischievously sneaking around Bardottan authorities and breaking into the Queen's quarters because he felt something bad was afoot...

... was reduced to being an almost droid-like, rule-parotting, protocol purist who sticks to his instructions (and is implied to be willing to let a murder go unsolved so he can get a promotion).

I mentioned this at the end of my first post on Luke in The Last Jedi... while changes in personality do happen overtime and can be explained in-universe... if you don't show us that progression and evolution and just leave us without that context, that'll break the suspension of disbelief, for your audience.

Here, we have two characters with a different (almost caricatural) personality than the one they were originally shown to have.

Now... we could resort to headcanons, to make it all fit together.

We could justify Huyang's tone shift 'cause "Order 66 changed him". And we could make explanations about TotJ's Mace:

Being younger and thus more ambitious and a stickler for the rules, and only really becoming more flexible after getting his seat on the Council and gaining more maturity.

Being such a teacher's pet in the episode because we're seeing him through the eyes of a notorious unreliable narrator, Dooku.

There'd be nothing wrong with opting to go with either of those headcanons to cope with this. After all, Star Wars is meant to help you get creative.

But the problem I encounter is that:

Filoni has an anti-Jedi bias, so the above headcanons clearly wouldn't really track with his intended narrative.

We'd be jumping through hoops to extrapolate and fill in what is, essentially, inconsistent characterization, manufactured to make Ahsoka and Dooku shine under a better light.

And that sours whatever headcanon I come up with.

Edit: Also, yeah, as folks have been saying in the tags... wtf is "Jedi protocol"? The term isn't ever mentioned in the movies, I skimmed through dialog transcripts of TCW, never saw it there.

So it's almost as if - if Filoni wasn't draining characters like Mace and Huyang of all humanity and nuance - his point about "the Jedi were too detached and lost their way, but not free-thinkers like Qui-Gon, Dooku and Ahsoka" wouldn't really hold much water.

Better Life - Ahsoka Tano

Anonymous said: Hey, do you write for Ahsoka? If you do, could you do an imagine with the reader having been a Jedi but becoming a bounty hunter or smuggler after Order 66?

AN: First time writing for Ahsoka!! I hope you like it! I went based off of Mandalorian Ahsoka. I hope that’s alright. Also, Y/L/C means ‘your lightsaber color’! Enjoy!

Corvus had seemed a far more enticing destination when you were a few sectors away and had a belly full of spotchka. Stepping foot on the black, turned dirt of the forest planet, you were having second thoughts. No, you were having regrets. 

Murky, damp, and dark, the areas of Corvus surrounding the city of Calodan were entirely uninviting. The lingering, borderline parasitic remains of the Empire had left barely a husk of a planet behind. Imperials were leaning into old habits that way. Bleed a planet dry to better the heart of the Empire, the Core Worlds; Coruscant. Even with the New Republic instated, you were wary about nearing that sector of the galaxy. Your ventures never got too close to the capital or any of the other Core Worlds since the Jedi Order fell.

You had been forced out of that life and into another one. Smuggling was your second chance. All you had to do was stay alive, which was easy enough. You just had to watch your step.

“Karabast!” You pulled your foot back from a puddle of thick mud. Your ship’s loading ramp had landed perfectly in the muck. Your thoughtlessness, or, more accurately, your getting lost in thought, had blinded you. Now, one of your boots was soiled.

As you inspected the damage of your shoe, you heard a bird call. Wary, you looked up at the grey skies but saw nothing. Taking in the sight of the bare-branch trees around you, you still saw no sign of the bird that the chirping hoots had come from. You could sense it though. Whatever the creature was, it had a strong presence in the Force and that set you on edge. 

“You’re here on business,” you reminded yourself. With the Imperials that once inhabited Corvus gone, there was a new, free market in Calodan. A free market full of new, eager buyers willing to pay higher prices for goods that the Empire had prohibited. With the stock you had in your ship’s hull, you could come away from the city with an inflow of credits. 

That thought of money was enough to get you moving again. You shook the mud from your boot and leapt over the puddle. As you landed, you felt the cold hilt of your lightsaber knock against your thigh. With the Empire all but washed from the decayed forest planet, you felt safer carrying the weapon at your side. You wanted to feel safe but knew better than to get too comfortable. 

Another hoot from the stalking bird was reminder enough that unseen enemies still lurked in the shadows. You would not make the same mistakes the Jedi had, that your Jedi Master had, all those years ago. You had survived and you had learned. Just keep moving.

As a stranger on every world you visited, you were used to being watched. Calodan locals, packed tight into the alleyways and streets of the city, were no different from the rest of the galaxy that way. Years of living under the shadow of the Empire had made them wary. Though, that did not stop them from celebrating their new found liberation.

Children, skinny but gleeful, ran through the streets as their parents shouted after them. A few Lothcats, with beady eyes and big ears, gave chase after insects, unafraid of being kicked by Stormtrooper boots. Vendors marketed sweets and trinkets, items they had hidden from the Imperials during the occupation. A few even called out to you.

“Care for fried Nuna legs?”

“Droid parts! Necklace charms!”

You ignored the sales pitches hurled at you as you walked by. Sneakily, you stole glances at the goods each offered to get a sense of what was needed in the market. It seemed like the Calodan market could use a little bit of everything, anything new to bolster the city’s infrastructure. Not that you cared about the wealth and quality of the citizens. 

You couldn’t afford to care, not if you wanted to survive. Caring costed credits and time, both of which you were low on. Caring, being invested in the affairs of others was what toppled the Jedi. You would not make the same mistake. 

“Spare credits for spotchka?!”

That seller caught your attention. You turned and eyed the slightly luminescent bottles full of blue liquid. At the sight, saliva started to gather in your mouth. Eager, you took a step towards the stall and shoved your had in your pocket in search of loose change.

Then you heard it again. A low, high-pitched hooting; that bird call. You turned your eyes to the sky and, finally, saw it. From where you were stood in the street, you couldn’t make out much detail. The bird was stout, a rather round creature, and was circling over your head.

It’s traced path, the continuous loop over where you were, was enough to make your blood run cold. Taste for spotchka overruled, you darted towards the nearest alleyway. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you ran. Nerves wild, you took random turns and relied on the Force, alway lingering in your mind and heart, to guide you. 

Another hoot and you moved faster. Dirt and dust below your feet was kicked up as you ran. The feeling of eyes on you, despite being far from the Calodan market, intensified. You were used to being hunted, for even in this New Republic, Imperials still hunted Force users, Jedi.

But this was different.

Another hoot and you looked up. Your eyes widened as, instead of the bird, you saw a cloaked figure jumping from the roof at your right. Years of training took over and you dodged to the left, nearly ramming your shoulder into the side of a nearby building. Your attacker landed in the spot where you had stood moments before. 

You raised your fists in a defensive stance and kicked your right leg up towards the cloaked figure’s head. They were just as quick to move, raising an arm to block your kick with such speed you felt your stomach drop. Who was this?

Whoever they were, they were able to land a strike to your shoulder that pushed you to the side. Years ago, in a room covered in cushions and mats, a fellow Padawan had delivered the same blown. The familiarity of it, stunned you. Where did they learn to fight like...like you? Like a Jedi?

You quickly refocused yourself, planted your feet to the ground and moved towards them. Hand-to-hand combat had not been your forte at the Temple but you managed to strike your attacker in the chest, knocking them back. Out from under the hood, you caught a glimpse of burnt orange skin. Something about the color was familiar; like a sunset. 

A kick sent your way forced the thought from your mind. The attacker’s foot swiped at your ankles and caused you to topple to the ground. Rough and quick, the impact rattled your bones. While your chest and stomach took most of the fall, you chin had been scraped by the rocky dirt of the alleyway. There was no way you could win this without disorienting them. They were too good.

Quickly, you rolled over on your back. As you saw the figure jump again, aiming to land a final, conscious-ending blow, you reached towards your thigh. Your fingers wrapped around the cool hilt of your lightsaber and, against your skin, the weapon seemed to hum to life. You pressed the activation switch and raised your saber to block the cloaked figure’s lunge.

There was a sudden flash of clashing color. White, twin laser swords held your Y/L/C blade at bay. Shock flooded your system as you looked at the contrasted sabers. Then, desperate to see if your attacker was as astonished as you, you shifted your gaze up. 

“Ahsoka!?”

“Y/N.”

Simultaneously, you and the Togruta woman deactivated your respective lightsabers. Ahsoka moved from her crouched position above you and, once she was stood up, she extended a hand down to you. Wariness made you hesitate at first; but you looked up into her blue eyes and felt a wave of relief wash over you. You took her hand and got to your feet.

She was taller now, with blue-and-white lekku trailing over her shoulders. You thought of Master Shaak-Ti, how long hers were. Unlike the Master Jedi, Ahsoka was smaller and, in your opinion, far more beautiful. Determination, that you remembered from your shared years at the Jedi Temple, still lined her face. As you looked at her, you felt Ahsoka’s soul was far older. 

“What are you doing...doing on Corvus?” You had wanted to ask what she was doing alive but knew there was no point in doing so. Every day, you asked yourself the same question. What were you doing, still alive and on the run for all this time? You still didn’t have an answer. 

Ahsoka gave you a smile, a smile that sent you back to your days together as Padawans waiting to be assigned Masters. So much had happened since you had last seen that smile.

“It’s a long story, as I imagine yours is as well.”

You scoffed and shook your head. “No, I’m just here smu-selling my wears.” 

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest and gave you a look. Her white facial markings, where a human’s eyebrows would be, quirked up as she eyed you. She seemed so much wiser now. Part of you worried about what she had been through, what she had seen to change her so. The other part of you was nervous. You were a smuggler after all.

“I see,” Ahsoka mused, her expression unchanged. “Marketing has kept you alive?”

“Well, in a way. Kept me alive enough to get a ship and keep moving.”

“You’re still following that last order?”

At her words, your chest tightened. Master Obi Wan Kenobi’s voice rang through your head. ‘This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the force. Do not return to the temple, that time has passed. And our future is uncertain’. It had been a warning, an order to run and not look back. You met Ahsoka’s steeled gaze and nodded.

“You could say that.” 

“The time for running has passed,” Ahsoka said. The seriousness in her voice sent a chill down your spine. “There is hope in the galaxy and not just for the Jedi. For us, everyone.”

“You sound like them,” you replied softly, “the Rebellion.”

“You mean the New Republic,” Ahsoka corrected, “I worked with the Rebellion. It has grown better, as we have from the Jedi.” 

You were about to speak, ask your long lost friend how she had found herself tied up in the Rebellion, when you saw it. The stout bird that had set you on edge before was perched in Ahsoka’s shadow. Bright green eyes glinted in the dark and every hair on your body rose in apprehension.

“That’s Morai,” Ahsoka explained, following your gaze. “She’s part of the long story.”

You nodded and jumped at the sound of firecrackers going off in the distance. The sound was reminiscent of the Clone Wars gunfire. Suddenly conscious of how exposed you both were, you grabbed Ahsoka’s hand. You began to lead her through the alley.

“Y/N, I need you to listen to me.”

“We need to find a place to talk.”

You blinked at Ahsoka, in an attempt to understand the story she had told you. Master Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka’s Master, her friend, had become Darth Vader. Sure, alright, that was easy enough to trace. Even your Master, Agen Kolar, had been wary of Skywalker’s attitude towards the Council. It was one of the few things you remembered about your Master now.

Then the Rebellion, Ahsoka’s stints on Lothal with a rag-tag group of fighters. One of which was a fellow lost Padawan, Caleb Dume, and a Lasat. You thought Lasats were all but extinct. While that part of her story was a bit more wild, a bit more mystical, it made sense. The Force had a strange way of connecting people, and people to places. 

“But a Mandalorian had a baby...a baby Yoda?”

Ahsoka smiled. “Yes. Grogu.”

“He was at the Temple...with us?”

“At the same time, yes. He had special, separate lessons.” You held Ahsoka’s gaze with furrowed brows. “What is it?”

“Instead of going with him and the Mandalorian, you’re going after a Grand Admiral?” You stood from your pilot’s chair and walked over to the caf machine. You poured yourself a new, hot cup before adding, “I don’t get that. That kid is...he’s got to be powerful, right?”

“Too powerful,” Ahsoka said as you took your seat again. The air was tense in your ship’s cockpit, heavy as your friend had told you her story. “And Thrawn is a threat. His forces are, were, rooted here, on Corvus. With the Mandalorian, I was able to find the Admiral’s location.”

“You’re still on a mission,” you sighed.

“You’re still following an order.”

Ahsoka’s words stung. As Padawans, you had been so close. Now, it was like you were talking to a familiar stranger; but your feelings for her had remained the same. You were relieved, overjoyed, that she was even sat before you. She was still quick and sharp-witted. You took a breath to compose yourself and shook your head. 

“Getting to the Admiral will what? Help you rebuild the Order somehow?”

“No,” Ahsoka replied quickly. Her eyes fell to the caf cup in her hand. You saw her thumb trace the edge of it. “That is someone else’s mission, a Jedi’s mission. I’m no Jedi.”

“Neither am I”, you admitted, “I feel more like a ghost sometimes.” Ahsoka lifted her gaze and met yours. You could feel, in the depths of her eyes, that she felt the same way too. For a stretch of long seconds, you stared at each other. With a hard swallow, you brought yourself from Ahsoka’s spell. “But, Thrawn. You’re after him because he’s...”

“Imperial, to this core. As long as he lives, the Empire’s ideas will survive. He may also know where Ezra is or how to find him.”

“And Ezra is?”

“Kanan’s, Caleb Dume’s Padawan. A friend.”

“Right. Sorry,” you pinched the bridge of your nose. “There’s a lot of people in your story, your life.”

Ahsoke leaned forward, a small smile playing on her full lips. “What about you, Y/N? What have you been doing? What’s next for you?”

“I…” Truth be told, you had done nothing like Ahsoka. You took Master Kenobi’s warning and, literally, ran with it. “Marketing, trading. Boring deliveries. No one as interesting as the people you’ve met. I haven’t been fighting like you. I’ve been…”

“Running.”

You nodded, met Ahsoka’s eyes and saw a glint of hope in them. You hadn’t seen hope so vivid before, not since you were younger, at the start of the Clones Wars. With a free hand, Ahsoka grabbed for yours. She gave it a squeeze and warmth ran through you.

“Stop running. Come with me, help me. Make this mission yours. No more orders, just making the galaxy safer, better.”

You frowned, but did not let go of Ahsoka’s hand. “That is what the Jedi did. Look how that turned out. We are no better than fugitives. You’re a vigilante and I’m a smuggler, so-”

“A smuggler?” Ahsoka’s tone shifted, her smile widened enough to reveal her sharper canines. “That’s a more rustic type of marketing. Isn’t it?”

“I see your teasing has persisted. Good to know.”

“It doesn’t matter to me, Y/N. We have all had to do things, good and bad, to survive this life. I’m only asking you to come with me to make what life we have left a better one.”

Over the years, you had survived and you had learned. All you had to do was just keep moving, never linger too long or care too deeply. Though, perhaps, that was the Jedi’s problem. Maybe, they didn’t care enough or love passionately in the way they should have. As you looked into Ahsoka’s eyes, you could tell that she did. 

She wanted to leave this galaxy better than the one that was handed to her. And, while you had dulled the want with spotchka and smuggling, you wanted that too. You had missed so much, Ahsoka you had missed terribly to the point where you did not dare to think about her. Now, she was sat before you, on your ship, looking at you with hope in her eyes. 

Neither of you were Jedi. You were not ghosts either, even though you felt that you were. You and Ahsoka were alive and ready to build a better life. The thought made your chest tightened slightly with want. You squeezed Ahsoka’s hand and met her gaze once more.

“Then where are we headed?”

Mama Nexu

Just a small piece about Ahsoka being downright scary and protecting her family against an asyyyriak (a predator native to Kashyyyk). Featuring tiny Luke.

Ao3      Brothers-AU

*

*

If you had asked Fives, which vod could be the most terrifying, his answer would have been Kix. Echo disagreed, there was not a day he would not submit to Kix's mercy in order to escape Rex. 

No one understood Cutup, but for years he had sworn that Tup had been the scariest of them all. After all, he had insulted Krell without the blink of an eye and SURVIVED! And Fives loved Cutup a little more each day for that opinion. Because if someone like Cutup kept talking about his younger brother like a real hero, the others had no chance of forgetting him.

But today the day had come when they all changed their minds. Abruptly.

Because they had never dared to compare a brother with a rancor or something like that. Because you know, no one could be as scary like a full grown rancor. But the woman before them, lit by the glow of her white sabers, was much worse than that!

Echo, Fives and Cutup had always known that Ahsoka wasn't human. Yes, she was very similar to humans, but nothing more. But it had never been shown to them like this before. Like a mother nexu, she was standing between the predator, who had appeared out of nowhere, and the prey. The attacker was a few heads taller than she was, and while here on the ground he looked sluggish and awkward on his long limbs, he had long claws on each one. They shimmered slightly in the light of the swords and when it bared its needle-sharp teeth, Ahsoka replied in the same way. A loud growl rolled out of her throat and Echo felt the boy behind his back shudder. Automatically he reached back a hand and caught the child's shoulder, with one energetic movement he pulled it completely behind him again and Fives and Cutup slid closer, they stood shoulder to shoulder and closed the barrier between the animal and the boy. And Ahsoka.

“Fives?”, Cutup mumbled and lifted his blaster a little higher, he aimed through the curved montrals of his sister directly at the animal, which by now seemed a bit more... insecure. Ahsoka didn't move, lightsabers still raised and the rumble still in her throat. “Don't you dare to touch them!" Fives shuddered and gripped his blaster tighter. That was not the voice of his sister, but that of a predator defending its family, its clan. The animal seemed to escape this undertone. It swept a long claw at Ahsoka. "Shoot it.", Fives gave the order without thinking too much.

Cutup was a little startled when the first shot actually left his gun and shot over his sister. It found its target and the animal winced as the green fur was burned and blackened. Another shot followed. And another one. Fine, light gray smoke filled the air and the predator took a step towards them, Ahsoka threw herself at it with all her ferocity. It was breathtaking, really! If Cutup hadn't been so busy ramming his brothers and the boy behind them out of the reach of the claws, he might have admired the sight a little longer. Then he was already on the floor, wow. The sky was a very intense blue today... A rumble sounded far too close to him, followed by the loud bursting of branches. Then, suddenly, it was very quiet.

"Cutup?" Ahsoka asked slowly, bending over her brother. His helmet seemed intact and he was still breathing. Carefully she reached for the edge of the helmet and lifted it, Cutup met her gaze with wide eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief, he seemed to be fine! Thank the maker! A drop of dark blood splashed onto his chest plate, the contrast making the liquid almost black. Ahsoka hastily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, Cutup let out a laugh and suddenly the others seemed to wake up from their stupor as well. Echo put his blasters away, his flesh-and-blood hand trembling slightly, and Fives tore his helmet off his head. All of their eyes were round and wide. It was almost laughable... So Ahsoka did just that, she tilted her head a little back and laughed with a sigh. Relief flooded her. Everyone was fine. "Kark! What was that?”, Fives finally managed and walked towards Ahsoka and grabbed her shoulder. When he shook her a little, Ahsoka just laughed again.

Now Echo came closer too, in his arms he carried the violently trembling boy whom they had followed through the forest. "Master?", he muttered, one cheek pressed close to Echo's breastplate. At the sound of his tiny voice, Fives stopped shaking his sister. Ahsoka's laughter stopped and Cutup sat up. "Is it gone?", the boy asked even more quietly and Ahsoka's lips curled up in a loving smile. "Oh Luke, of course it's gone.", she assured him gently and stretched out her hands, Echo handed the boy over to her and Luke immediately buried his face between Ahsoka's shoulder and the scarred lek. Sighing, she ran a hand through his hair and got up from the ground. Echo took off his helmet and held out his free hand to Cutup. Puffing, he pulled his brother back to his feet. "Don't scare us like that.", Echo muttered as the group started moving again. Ahsoka and Luke walked between Echo and Fives, Cutup stayed on Echo's free side. Fives made an agreeing sound, his helmet fastened to his belt. His hands rested on his blasters and even if Echo raised an eyebrow in amusement, he couldn't blame his brother. That thing a few moments ago had been... scary. "What was that?", he asked, real curiosity tickling the back of his neck. It had been a long time since he'd seen anything really NEW. Even if this one had been clearly too close to him. "An asyyyriak.", Ahsoka informed him and her gaze darkened again, briefly her eyes flashed as if she were still facing the animal and the clones got goose bumps. "I've never seen it around before.", Fives growled and Ahsoka's gaze calmed down again, only a dull worry remained. “It doesn't belong here either. I'll get in touch with Master Yoda.” “Because Master Yoda knows this thing?”, Cutup asked and almost stumbled when Ahsoka sighed softly and shook her head. Then she smiled at him, the blood still almost black and shiny on her lips. "No, but he knows the wookies."

Rex, Kix and Hevy were waiting for them at the temple entrance, Ahsoka put Luke down and immediately the boy hurried forward and into Kix's arms. "Hey ad’ika, where have you been?", Kix asked quietly and eyed Ahsoka's bloodied grin with furrowed eyebrows. "Master 'Soka is creepy.", Luke mumbled barely audibly into the collar of Kix's shirt and Hevy began to laugh out loud, even Rex had to smile. “This is not a joke, vod. A nexu is nothing against what we saw!“, Cutup said and while Rex only looked at Ahsoka and nodded knowingly, Hevy sighed and wrapped an arm around Cutup's shoulders. “Brother, I think you hit your head. Let's look for the others.", he suggested and pulled Cutup with him. “I think Jesse hid a few more cookies in his bed. Does that sound good, ad’ika?", Kix mumbled and Luke nodded, but glanced at Ahsoka. "Go ahead, I'll get a big cup of caf first.", she just smiled and Kix disappeared with the boy in his arms.

"Are you injured?", asked Rex when Kix and Luke had disappeared around a corner. Ahsoka grinned at him, even if there were still fine lines of worry around her eyes. “I beg you pardon Rex, I've never felt better. But I could really use some caf.”, she sighed and rubbed her neck with one hand. "It's going to be a long day.", she muttered, and Echo and Fives behind her felt a little pang of pity. "A cup of fresh caf.", Fives tried to joke carefully, luckily Echo picked up the thread immediately. "Right away, Miss Nexu.", he grinned and they both disappeared into the temple with long strides. “They will never let you forget this.”, Rex grinned and his vod’ika laughed, er eyes twinkeling. “It’s okay, we can both be the scary vod.”

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

Anakin Skywalker

Eight--The Challenger

Basic fear: of being hurt or controlled by others

Basic desire: to protect themselves and their loved ones

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

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

“You already have, Luke.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“To be angry is to be human.”

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

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

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

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

Comfortember Day 8

Relived Trauma 

Spoiler: This is an excerpt from I Don’t Like Sand, a one-shot I have yet to release. ;)

His surroundings filter in gradually, and Anakin becomes distantly aware of the sound of voices, ones which he knows, so he doesn’t panic – at least not any more than he already is. His breathing is far too fast and shallow, and he can’t shake the feeling of being pinned to the sand, totally helpless. He’s curled in on himself in a protective position, back pressed against the tree trunk.

“Anakin?” It’s Obi-Wan, his mind supplies helpfully.

He’s shaking uncontrollably, feeling this close to breaking and shattering into a million pieces. He should be stronger than this. There was absolutely no reason for him to lose control like that. But he did, and it’s inexcusable. Does it matter though? It happened. He can feel the heat of the sand permeating his body through his thin tunic, sand seeping in through the holes. He’s trapped, unable to run, unable to escape. All he can do is scream.

“What happened?” Despite the audible worry, Padme’s voice is still soothing.

He forces his eyes to open, blinking to focus them. Ahsoka is hovering in the background, a stricken look on her face which is in stark contrast to the prominent worry in Padme’s expression. She’s kneeling near him, close but not touching. Obi-Wan is on his other side, and he seems torn between keeping his distance and touching him. Anakin consciously tries to calm himself down, to slow his breathing so he’s not hyperventilating.

It’s fine. He’s fine. He’s on Naboo, not Tatooine. There aren’t any dangers lurking here. He’s fine. Anakin inhales a bit more slowly, counting mentally in an effort to force himself to relax. It isn’t easy, but this isn’t the first time he’s had to cope with something like this. Often, he’s alone, so he doesn’t need to deal with the embarrassment of making a scene. The realization that Ahsoka saw is nearly enough to send him over the edge again, but he refuses to start panicking all over again.

He probably would have though, especially since his thoughts start spiraling again, when Obi-Wan speaks. “Just breathe,” he instructs gently, and Anakin can definitely hear the concern in his voice. “Focus on me.”

Obi-Wan demonstrates, and Anakin tries to match his breathing to that of his former master’s. At times like this, when Obi-Wan is being so nice and kind and gentle, Anakin wishes so badly that he was capable of actually talking to him, the way most normal humans do. He wishes that he didn’t always have to feel so alone and trapped in his own memories of his past, but he – he doesn’t know how to talk to Obi-Wan about things like that in a way which he’ll actually understand. And then, the moments pass so fast, that Anakin is often left feeling… almost glad that he didn’t open up, because losing that closeness would have been even harder.

He’s not a good Jedi. He tries, though. He tries so hard, but it often seems to be for naught. He’s simply not good enough. He hates being so alone, hates that he can still want things that he shouldn’t. Why does it have to be so hard?

As his awareness and alertness return, Anakin becomes aware of the fact that he’s trembling, both from his flashback – he shouldn’t experience things like that; it’s a weakness he doesn’t have time for – and from shock, he thinks. He feels cold, despite the relatively warm temperatures around them. Obi-Wan’s presence is a calm beacon amidst the tumult in his mind, and it helps ground him in the moment.

Frozen Possibilities | The Mandalorian x Reader pt.4

The next chapter in the Frozen Series! This is the longest fic I've ever written to date. It's starting to pick up now. Spoiler for next chapter: y'all are in for it 😎

Word count: 6.7K

Warnings: fluff, so much yearning!!!, the usual violence, Din has feelings???

•••

Corvus was finally in sight after the long detour they had taken. Y/N had been flying and woken Din up when the planet was in sight. It appeared to be a dull forest planet from space but it could be a whole different story on the surface.

You never told me what we’re doing here.

Din watched her sign and considered her question. She’d already been shot at and chased because of him, might as well let her in on the rest too. “There’s supposed to be a Jedi here that I need to find,” he said. She looked inquisitive.

Which Jedi?

He turned his chair slightly to look at her. The child playing on the control panel next to him. "Do you know of more?"

Only by name. My mother told me stories about them.

"What do you know?" He asked. He wanted any information he could get. She made sure she had his full attention before signing away.

They were peacekeepers. During the Clone Wars they were soldiers, when the Empire took over they were slaughtered. She told me they used powers like our children have and carried colored laser swords for weapons. Apparently she knew a couple of them.

"Who was your mother? How did she know all this?" Din asked. She looked insecure and shy after he asked the question, he would go so far as to say she looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” She smiled dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

It’s alright, it just upsets me to talk about her.

“Well, if you have any useful information on the Jedi, feel free to share..if you want,” he said, swiveling his chair back. “I’m going to start the landing sequence, you should buckle up." Y/N nodded and plucked the child off the control panel, sitting him in his seat and buckling him up. She sat in the other seat and secured herself in. Mandi was secure in Din’s bunk, sound asleep.

Din was pleased with his landing this time, just as smooth as usual. He descended into the hull with the kid and thought about his plan of attack. He decided not to take his jetpack and bring his pulse rifle instead, slinging it onto his back. He opened the ramp and took his first step on Corvus. The forest planet looked more like a wasteland than anything and was eerily quiet except for the low bellows of animals off in the distance.

He turned around at the sound of footsteps, seeing the child and Y/N walking down the ramp. He sighed. “You should stay here, I don’t know what’s out there,” he told her.

I’ll be fine.

She signed to him and he sighed again. He didn’t want to argue with her but he didn’t want her to get hurt.

Jedi are peaceful, they won’t hurt us.

“Fine, but stay close to me,” he said. The child plopped down on the ramp and Din noticed he had the metal sphere from one of his levers in his hands. “What did I say about that,” he said, bending down to take it from him. “This needs to stay in the ship.” He tucked the sphere into his belt and looked around, bending down to pick up the child and place him in his carry bag. “Let’s go into town and see if we can pick up a lead.”

Y/N followed close to Din looking around in wonder, Mandi was once again slung across her chest in her wrap. Din had flown over the town on the way in, the entire thing was surrounded by a large wall. It would be intimidating to a normal person, but for Din it just raised questions. Why did they need it? Were they keeping something in or keeping something out? He saw the guards on the top of the wall, he didn’t know what they were but a normal human man stood with them.

“State your business,” he called down from the wall. Din kept the child tucked out of sight behind his arm and Y/N held Mandi close. “Been tracking for a few days, looking for a layover,” Din announced. The man complimented Din’s armor, asking if he was a hunter. Din confirmed his guild allegiance and the man huffed, seemingly finding something funny. “Haven’t known many with families,” he mused. Din wanted to roll his eyes this time. How many times were people going to assume the same thing? He heard her shuffle beside him. “My assistant, she’s the bait when I need her to be,” Din replied. The man looked unamused and Din heard Y/N stifle a laugh from next to him.

“Open the gate.”

Inside the walls, villagers silently milled around going about their daily tasks, seemingly with little to no interaction with each other. He looked to Y/N as they walked, the expression on her face gave away her thoughts.

Something isn’t right here.

Din saw a vendor nearby and decided to ask the woman if she knew anything. He only got a couple of words out before she unexplainably walked away without a word. He turned and looked at Y/N and saw she was as confused as he was. He spotted a man in a nearby alley, helping two children with something. Din approached him instead, asking for information. The man looked between Din and Y/N, noticing their children. “Please, don’t speak to them, or to any of us,” he pleaded. Din tried to persist but was cut off by two guards behind him. “The Magistrate wants to see you,” one of them said. Their voices sounded mechanical to Y/N but they moved too fluidly to be droids. Din ushered her to follow him.

“The Magistrate only asks to see the hunter,” the guard clarified. Din squared his shoulders and stood firm. “Wherever I go, they go,” he said firmly. “Affirmative,” the guards acquiesced. Din motioned for her to follow and she glued herself to his side. The guards escorted them to the inner gate. There were electric cages standing with three unfortunate villagers trapped inside. Din looked to one who pleaded for help, he knew there was nothing he could do. He felt something touch his hand and realized that Y/N had taken his hand in hers. He looked over at her and saw the fearful look in her eyes, her hand was shaking as he held it.

She was scared.

He squeezed her hand and held it tightly in his, reassuring her that she was safe and he would protect her. The gates opened and the duo walked in. Inside the inner gate was a stark contrast to the rest of the town. It was peaceful, a wide walkway separated two ponds and trees grew throughout the area. A woman in a maroon garb stood halfway down, a small bowl in her hand as she tossed food to some creatures in the water. The gates closed behind them, causing Y/N to flinch.

“Come forward,” the woman spoke. Din looked to his companion. “Wait here,” he whispered. He walked out to meet the Magistrate, Y/N not letting go of his hand until he was too far away. She watched as the woman asked about him, giving him an offer. Din countered, not knowing what she might be asking him to do.

“A Jedi plagues me, I want you to kill her.”

Y/N was taken aback by the Magistrate’s words. Kill a Jedi? Why? “That’s a difficult task,” Din stated. She seemed to have faith in him, probably because he was all she had at the moment. Din disregarded her words about the Jedi and Mandalore, instead restating that he required high payment. The woman reached her arm out behind her and a droid approached, holding a metal staff which it placed in her hands.

“What do you make of this?” She said, holding it out for Din to inspect. He walked closer and took the spear from her hands, looking it over. It looked awfully familiar. He tested his theory and knocked it against his vambrace. The resounding noise was a pleasant and loud, but not ear piercing, ring. It was more like music than anything. “Beskar,” He confirmed out loud. “Pure Beskar,” she added, “like your armor.” She then went on to promise it to him if he could kill the offending Jedi. Din knew something wasn’t right, he had to choose his words carefully, he didn’t want to secure a deal he wasn’t sure he could commit to.

“Where do I find this Jedi?” He asked, handing the spear back to her. The woman looked pleased with his answer and told him the last known location of their enemy. The man they had seen on top of the wall earlier led them out to the gate. “What is that thing?” The man asked, looking at the child in his bag near Din's hip. He blurted whatever he thought of first. “I keep it around for luck,” he said. “You’re gonna need it where you’re headed,” the man assured. Din looked around before he and Y/N began walking to their new destination.

~~~~

They trudged through the deforested, barren land looking for any clues. Din had unshouldered his pulse rifle and held it in his right hand, ready for anything to happen at any moment as they approached the coordinates the Magistrate had given them. “This is it,” Din announced, “keep your eyes open.” She nodded and continued looking around while making sure she didn’t trip over the occasional tree root sticking out of the ground.

So far they hadn’t found anything. A noise in the distance alerted the both of them and they froze. “You hear that?” She nodded, keeping still. “Stay right here, let me see what’s out there,” he said, raising his scope up to his helmet and surveying their surroundings. He found only animals in the distance to be the source of the ruckus. “False alarm,” he said. The second after he said that a figure jumped down from behind him, attacking him with two glowing swords of light. He vaguely heard Y/N let out a noise akin to a scream.

He parried several of her strikes, her laser swords deflected easily by his Beskar vambraces. Din panicked and activated his flamethrower, sending her back a bit, and tying her with his whipcord after. That was a mistake. She leaped into the air and over a tree branch, lifting him into the air. Din cut the cord quick before the Jedi got free and landed on the ground, pulling his blaster on the woman just as she cut herself free and turned to face him.

“Ahsoka Tano!” He shouted, holding his other hand up, hoping to deter her. “Bo-Katan sent me,” he said, taking a few wary steps back. “We need to talk.” She looked from him to the woman and child behind him a bit. Y/N was standing partially in front of his little one, shielding him with her body, she looked terrified. “I hope it’s about him.” She said, deactivating her swords. She seemed to be friendly once she saw the child, and Y/N slowly moved aside as Ahsoka and Din walked over. She wanted a few minutes with the child and Y/N and Din stood several feet away watching as the sun set and darkness enveloped the planet.

~~~~

It felt like hours that Ahsoka was sat with the child while Din and Y/N waited. She could tell Mando was nervous by his non-stop pacing back and forth. Mandi had grown tired of the action and fallen asleep in her wrap. Y/N watched the pacing Mandalorian, wondering what he was thinking. Ahsoka hadn’t spoken a single word and the child hadn’t made much noise, yet they sat facing each other as if they were having an entire conversation. Was it something to do with their unique powers? If so, could Mandi hear them?

After a while Ahsoka picked the little one up and brought him closer, meeting Din halfway between them. She set her lantern on the ground and the child on a rock before taking a seat herself. Y/N stayed a few feet behind Din and watched as Ahsoka nodded, as if she was agreeing with something the child had said.

“Is he speaking? Do you understand him?” Din asked, his voice laced with curiosity. Ahsoka folded her hands under her cloak. “In a way,” she said, “Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts.” Y/N cocked her head and Din repeated the name. The child instantly perked up, hearing his father say his name for the first time. “That’s his name,” she confirmed. Din tried out the name again, his child having the same response immediately, cooing up at his father.

Ahsoka began telling them of Grogu’s life, that he was raised and trained by other Jedi on Coruscant, and when the Empire took over that he was taken and hidden away. Somebody protected him. His memories were dark after that, he couldn’t remember much. Din had taken a seat on a rock opposite Ahsoka, listening to every word. Y/N leaned against the same rock, listening and trying to make sense of what she was telling them.

“Can he still wield the Force?” Ahsoka asked. “You mean his powers?” Din questioned. “The Force is what gives him his powers,” she clarified. “It is an energy field, created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training, and discipline.” That made Y/N confused. Grogu had training in the past so it made sense that he could use his powers so well. Mandi was only a few weeks old, how was she able to use the same power? Did Mandi even know she was doing it? Evidently Y/N wasn’t the only one wondering about it.

“What about her?” Din asked motioning back to Y/N and the baby. “She’s only a few weeks old, but wields the same powers.” Ahsoka turned her attention to the mother and child and Y/N took a few steps closer. “May I see her?” Ahsoka asked. Y/N was hesitant, but walked over and gently took Mandi out of her wrap, placing her in Ahsoka’s arms. She held the little girl, watching Mandi's face morph into complete calm. Ahsoka just stared at the baby for several minutes, Din wondered if she was having the same conversation as she had with his son.

"Her brain is developing much faster than a normal human's," Ahsoka finally said. "Beyond that, she's perfectly normal. You've been good parents." Din held back the urge to sigh. "I'm, I'm not her father.." he said. Ahsoka looked over at him with a knowing glance, as if she held information he didn't. "She says you are."

Din's eyes widened under his helmet and he was at a loss for words. Mandi thought he was her dad? Perhaps he had been right before, the one time she saw him without the helmet he had imprinted on her. It was simply how her little mind worked. She hadn’t known her real father, Din was that man for now.

“Her husband was killed a few months ago, I’m merely her transportation.” Din explained, motioning to where he knew Y/N was standing behind him. Ahsoka could feel more than see the sadness that washed over Y/N at his words. She clearly didn’t agree with his words, or she wished they were different.

Ahsoka held Mandi out and Y/N took her back into her arms. She studied her child, barely hearing the conversation Din was having with Ahsoka. What could have prompted her to be born with such powers? No one in Y/N’s family had ever wielded powers like that before, she’d only seen a Force sensitive once. He appeared a normal human being, nothing about him had set him apart from the others. She only found out later that he was known as a Jedi, a powerful user of a rare mystical power which she had never seen manifested. Now her own daughter held that same power, as well as the child of the man she was slowly falling for…

~~~~

Ahsoka had told Din that she would “test” the kid today, whatever that implied. She led the rest of them to a spot in the forest, Din carrying Grogu and Y/N carrying Mandi. Ahsoka instructed Din to set his child down on a rock while she thought up a challenge. Y/N knew she had no reason to be involved and hoisted herself up on a large rock to observe. Din stood off to the side, knowing it was up to the kid now.

Ahsoka chose a small stone from the ground and held it out for the child to see, she turned her palm out and the stone floated through the air towards the child. The other three in the group watched in awe as the stone moved fluidly through the air with nothing supporting it, levitating into the child’s awaiting hands. Ahsoka smiled softly and asked for the stone back. The child seemed confused, or shy. It was hard to tell. Did he actually know what he was doing?

“He doesn’t understand,” Din assumed. “He does,” Ahsoka corrected. The child still looked apprehensive, as if Ahsoka was asking him to do something unfathomable. Was it simply that difficult to use this strange power? Din tried to provide encouragement by jerking his head in Ahsoka’s direction, but it did no good. Grogu dropped the stone and Din sighed, of all the times he had used his power, this was the one time he was refusing to use it.

Ahsoka strode over and crouched in front of the child, taking his hand and closing her eyes. She appeared to be searching for something. “I sense much fear in you..” she said. Y/N watched with curiosity as the Jedi called Din over to stand by her and asked him to try the same thing. Din’s first attempt was laughable and Y/N let out a snort of laughter that had Ahsoka smirking in the other woman’s direction. Ahsoka leaned closer, reminding him to use the child’s name before giving them space and leaning against a rock.

Din tried again, this time calling Grogu by his name. Din had his attention, but Grogu wasn’t buying this whole rock-moving gig. He only asked once and immediately gave up, it was no use. The kid was more stubborn than even Din, perhaps he’d picked up a few bad habits from traveling with the Mandalorian.. He looked over at Ahsoka who urged him to try and be more understanding, to connect with the child. He noticed Y/N signing from behind Ahsoka.

Be patient, level with him.

He concentrated, a thought popping into his head. He retrieved the metal sphere that the child had tried to bring with from his belt, twisting it in his hand. “Grogu,” he called softly. “Do you want this?” He crouched down, holding the sphere out in front of him. He certainly had Grogu’s attention now, he knew the child loved the ball and would do almost anything to get it. Grogu had his hand held out in front of him, his little face scrunched up with effort as his father encouraged him.

The ball suddenly flew from Din’s hand straight into the child’s tiny palm. Enthusiastic words of praise spilled from Din’s mouth as he strode over to the child, elated with how well he did, and proud too. Despite the positive result of her test, Ahsoka seemed put down, noting Grogu’s apparent attachment. “I cannot train him,” she finally declared. The ensuing argument between Ahsoka and the Mandalorian had Y/N becoming concerned. What feelings was Ahsoka speaking of? Were Jedi that powerful that simple emotions could destroy them? Most importantly, what was the option now?

Y/N had always been told there were two sides to everything: good and bad, light and dark, the Republic and the Empire. She’d always been forced to choose a side, she was sure it was even more forceful for the Jedi. While Y/N had always chosen the better option, the light and freedom, what about others? What was it like to be in the middle, to not have a side, to not have to worry about who ruled the galaxy? Truth be told she had never known that life until she had met her husband and settled on Tatooine, but there she felt like she was missing out. Like she had been stuck in a corner, albeit a lovely corner, and forced to watch as the action and interest passed by. She wanted to be like Mando, a drifter in between the light and dark. Y/N didn’t want a life of black and white anymore, she wanted grey. Currently the grey she was seeking, happened to be gleaming a Beskar silver.

~~~~

Din had agreed to help Ahsoka with freeing the village as long as she would train Grogu. The Jedi had found it a fair trade and Din informed her of what he had seen beyond the gates, with Y/N filling in essential details that he missed. They strategized on the walk back to the Razor Crest, Din intending on leaving Y/N and the children in the ship while he and Ahsoka freed the village from the vengeful Magistrate. Y/N tried adding her own input into their plans, which Din didn’t seem too interested in. They formed a plan and Ahsoka headed back to her camp to wait until nightfall, while Din and Y/N continued back to the ship.

I can help, you know.

“No,” Din immediately shot her down, “I need you to stay here with the kids.” She scoffed.

I can handle myself, please let me help.

Din slung his rifle off his back and leaned it against the wall of the ship, he would need his jetpack for this mission. “I said no,” he shot her down again. “I can’t have you getting hurt out there. Ahsoka and I can handle it.”

But I want to help. She signed desperately. Din turned to her, pointing his finger in her face. “No!” She recoiled from his harsh tone as if he had hit her, a scowl crossed her face and she signed furiously.

I know a lot more about combat than you think, don’t underestimate me. I know what I’m doing!

She was aggravating him now, couldn’t she just be happy with staying on the ship? Why now was she all of a sudden so interested in being target practice for the inhuman looking beings that guarded the city. “You’re not going anywhere, end of discussion.” He walked towards his bunk and set Grogu down in his hammock. His arm was yanked as Y/N forced him to turn around and look at her. She had set Mandi down comfortably on the floor before confronting him. He saw how angry she was as she began signing to him.

The discussion isn’t over until I say it is! You don’t know who you’re dealing with, I have-

Din grabbed her hands to stop her signing and backed her against the wall of his ship. The position he just forced them both into left her almost no room to move as they were, once again, within inches of each other. “You have no power here,” he growled, “this is my ship, I call the shots.” Y/N squirmed in his tight grip, trying to communicate but only managing to annoy him more with the defiant look on her face. “Do I have to remind you that I hired you? You’re only here because of me and I can change that at any time I want to,” he said darkly.

A look of hurt crossed her face before it was replaced with anger once more. She wanted to slap him, she would if he didn’t have that helmet on. Instead, she used all her might to plant her hands on his chest plate and shove him off of her. Din let her go and watched and she huffed and walked towards the ladder to the cockpit. “You’re acting like a child,” he sneered. Why couldn’t she understand he was just looking out for her! She paused halfway up and glared at him, signing a firm and snappy two words.

Fuck you.

Din sighed tensely. Why was she acting like this? He just wanted to protect her, he couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. He wanted her to be safe, he would never forgive himself if she sustained so much as a scratch at this point. What was worse was that he couldn’t give her an explanation as to why he was being so protective. It wasn’t as if he could just tell her he didn’t want her leaving the ship because he was in love with her and his heart couldn’t bear to see her in pain. Maker, was that even what he was feeling? Love? He didn’t know, but he did know he didn’t like it. It made him feel strange, and now it was seeping into his actions.

He heard the cockpit doors close, he hoped she was mad enough at him that she would stay up there the entire time. He grabbed his jetpack and secured it onto the back of his armor, sealing the ship and heading out to meet up with Ahsoka.

~~~~

Y/N sat frustrated and still somewhat angry in the pilot’s seat, staring out at the deforested landscape. What was Mando’s problem, why had he been so opposed to her coming with? The kids would be fine in the Crest, sleeping while the adults were out and about. His words had upset her, especially when he said she was basically just a babysitter. She had thought they were at least friends by now, what with all they had been through and all the times they had helped each other. She also wanted to provide him backup.

She didn’t want to admit it, but she had been scared when he left on mission with Karga and Cara on Navarro. She had been frightened that he wouldn’t come back. She hadn’t noticed until recently that she had been tensing up whenever he went out of sight, always relieved to see him when he came back, even if it was just to a different part of the ship. She was afraid that another person she loved would leave to do a normal task and end up disappearing, just like her husband. She furrowed her brow and looked down.

Had she really just used that word? Love? She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. It had to be a part of her grieving process, her husband had died only seven months ago, there was no way she was in love again. Just thinking about it nearly brought her to tears. She cared for the Mandalorian and his child deeply, so much so she would willingly put her own life on the line. But there was a voice scorning her in the back of her mind, saying she should be ashamed and how dare she care for another man. Y/N just wanted to be happy again, she had spent every day since her husband’s death in agony until she met this Mandalorian.

She so desperately wanted the freedom and adventure he had. She sat up in the seat as an idea came to her. If he didn’t believe she was as tough and hardened as she actually was, she would have to prove it to him. A huge wave of confidence washed over her and she dashed down into the hull. Both children were asleep and she placed Mandi on Din’s bunk beneath Grogu. She turned off the lights and closed the door to his bunk. Time to get ready.

Only now did she realize that she hadn’t changed clothes since she left Tatooine. Gross. She stripped down to her underclothes and searched around for some extra clothing of Mando’s. He would probably get mad at her for wearing his things but she didn’t care at the moment, she was on a mission. Y/N managed to find a spare black, long sleeved shirt and pants that were much too big, but she could work with it. She tucked the shirt into the pants before pulling the trousers as far up on her waist as she could, tying a leather string around her waist a few times to keep them up.

With more rummaging she came upon an old cloak, either a spare or one Mando had given up on wearing it was so full of holes. She wrapped it around her neck and let it drape down to her knees behind her, taking her own head cloth and wrapping it into a hood over her head. She slipped her boots back on and began looking for weapons. She found a holster to put her DT-22 in and buckled it onto her hips, it also helped to keep the pants on her. She grabbed a spare vibroblade and stuffed it into her boot. Just as she was about to leave she spotted his pulse rifle, leaning against the wall where he had left it.

Her husband had owned a pulse rifle back on their farm on Tatooine, he had taught her how to use it until she became an expert. Y/N tore a length of strong cloth from her old skirt, tying one end to the long barrel of the rifle, the other end to the stock just in front of the trigger. Making sure the knots were secure she slung the rifle over her shoulders, grabbed several extra bullets for it, and exited the Crest. She passed a very reflective surface on her way out, spying her appearance, she looked kind of like Mando. All dark clothes, cloak and weapons; only with a hood instead of a helmet, and no armor of course.

She programmed the Crest’s security protocols to engage once the ramp closed, and made sure that it closed and that the children were safe inside. She remembered the way to the village and began jogging in that direction.

~~~~

Din helped the last of the three villagers out of the cages and motioned for them to take shelter inside. The militarian man whom he assumed was some sort of mercenary now was approaching him head on, calmly walking down the center of the road. The man’s eyes looked behind Din and he assumed the man saw Ahsoka. “So you threw in with the Jedi,” he accused. “Looks that way,” Din replied. The man slowly stalked towards him, the sounds of Ahsoka and the Magistrate locked in combat echoing from the inner gates.

The man continued to talk as he walked forwards, either trying to distract Din or stall something else. Din stood firm, unmoving and unintimidated. “That’s far enough,” he warned when the man had gotten too close. Din’s hand hovered over his blaster, his spilt-second reflexes ready to engage. Through the noise of the fighting behind them, Din could swear he heard blaster fire somewhere off in the distance. He found it odd, perhaps there were reinforcements coming. Is that what the man was stalling for?

Meanwhile, Y/N had been jogging to the city and wagered she was about halfway there when she heard a twig snap off to her left. The woman skidded to a stop and listened, she heard the quiet crunching of footsteps on the hard dirt. She knew how to play this game. Y/N waited until they sounded within range. In the blink of an eye, she had drawn her blaster and fired. One of the masked guards fell dead onto the ground, her shot had hit him directly in the chest. Reinforcements. Seconds later more guards emerged from the trees and pursued her.

Y/N ran, breaking into a full sprint, firing behind her. All her memories and skills were coming back. She saw the city come into view and ducked behind a tree stump for cover shooting out from behind it, taking down guard after guard. She made it look easy. There were three guards left, she shot one and aimed at the next pulling the trigger on her blaster. Nothing. She pulled it a few more times, still nothing. Of course she had bought a blaster with only half ammo. She holstered the weapon and drew her stolen vibroblade, hiding until she heard the guards stop running and start looking for her.

She listened to their footsteps, closing her eyes to better picture where one of them was around her. Once she heard his steps stop, she stood, and threw. The vibroblade flew through the air and stuck itself into the guards neck, killing him. Y/N had been aiming for his head but clearly she was out of practice. A blaster bolt whizzed by her head and she slung the pulse rifle off her shoulders, swinging it backwards and knocking away the guard’s blaster. He had been charging her and he pulled his own vibroblade, swinging at her trying to get a strike. She blocked him easily with the barrel of the rifle.

He was a clumsy and graceless opponent and Y/N soon found an opening in his defenses. She seized the moment and jabbed the electric prod end of the rifle into his chest. Surges of electricity went through his body and she shoved him a few feet away, allowing her time to grip the rifle tight and pull the trigger. She watched as the man disintegrated before her very eyes, only his clothes and mask left behind on the ground. She looked over the weapon fondly, the same model her husband had and everything. She looked up as she heard more footsteps coming towards her. She reloaded the rifle and crouched behind a stump, using the top of it to steady the weapon as she fitted the stock tight to her shoulder.

Bring it on.

~~~~

Din was quite confused as to what he was hearing beyond the wall. The sounds of combat mixed with blaster fire, he forced himself to ignore them and focus on the man in front of him who was still holding his weapon, finger poised to pull the trigger at any second. The sounds of Ahsoka’s laser swords colliding with the Beskar spear Din was certain the Magistrate was using to fight the Jedi suddenly died out. A few seconds after, the blaster fire beyond the wall ceased as well. Who in space had been fighting out there?

“Sounds like you win,” the man said. He held his rifle out in front of him and slowly set it down on the ground. Din relaxed, this had gone more civil than he thought. The moment the man’s blaster was on the ground and Din had drawn his hand away from his blaster, the mercenary pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed at Din. The Mandalorian was much faster and had his blaster drawn and fired within nanoseconds. The man dropped dead on the ground. So much for civility.

The local man who had helped Din free the trapped villagers emerged from his home, his eyes and face asking if it was safe. Din nodded to him and the man came to stand next to him, surveying the damage. The man’s face instantly changed to panic. “Behind you!” Din drew his blaster once more and aimed at the assassin droid. Before he could pull the trigger, the droid's head was blasted clean off, the hunk of metal tumbling down from the roof and landing with a loud crash. Din was confused, he hadn’t shot, so who had?

Both him and the local man followed the trajectory of the powerful bullet to where it had come from. There, on one of the roofs of a home closer to the gates, they could see a crouched figure in all black with a familiar looking pulse rifle in their hands. They moved the weapon into one hand, holding it comfortably. It stood up and slid down the incline of the roof, landing gracefully on their feet in the road. Din could now see who it was. Y/N walked towards them slinging Din’s pulse rifle back onto her shoulders with a makeshift strap she must have fashioned. Din sighed, disappointed that she had left the ship and disobeyed him. At the same time, she was a sight to behold. She looked like a bounty hunter: rugged, dirt on her clothes, weapons from head to toe, and that aura of mystery.

Din swallowed hard as she sauntered forwards a smirk on her face, she was pleased with the job she had done. He didn’t know where she had gotten the clothes from but she looked good in them. They were a bit big but they made her look dangerous, sexy even. Was he really getting turned on by this?

Told you I could handle myself.

“And I told you to stay on the ship,” he replied. The annoyance dissolving the arousal he had briefly felt. She shrugged, finally standing next to him and the other man.

Last I checked you were my employer, not my puppeteer. She signed, a determined but proud look on her face. Are you alright?

Her face had softened as she asked her question. “I’m fine,” he answered, “you?” She smiled, brushing nonexistent dust from her shoulder with a wave of her hand.

Not a scratch.

Din couldn’t help but roll his eyes under the helmet, she might have saved him from a droid but that didn’t give her a reason to be so cocky. The trio stayed and helped the villagers clean and restore the village until dawn came. Finally the gates could stay open. As soon as they were outside, Din was greeted by the unpleasant sight of more than a dozen bodies scattered throughout the clearing along with piles of clothes, which was the work of his pulse rifle. The causes of death included stab wounds, blaster shots to the face or chest and even burn marks from the prod on his rifle.

Din turned his head and gave Y/N a guilty look that she could feel through his helmet. She looked at the ground innocently, poking at the dirt with the toe of her boot. “You did this?” She slowly nodded, still not looking at him. She wasn’t embarrassed, she just didn’t want the attention, she wasn’t one to rub her achievements in other people’s faces. Din, however, was pleasantly impressed. He had thought that she came all that way just to shoot one droid and try to call herself a hero, when in actuality she had taken down about twenty guards all by herself. That had been the blaster fire he was hearing outside the gates.

“Nice work.” He said. Y/N looked over at him, surprised that he would compliment her work. She had thought for sure he would be mad. Ahsoka joined the two of them, the sound of the villagers celebrating behind her. She gifted the Beskar spear to Din, saying it belonged with his people and he reluctantly accepted it. When prompted by Ahsoka, Din went ahead to get the child from the Crest while Y/N and Ahsoka walked that way at a leisurely pace.

Are you really going to take Grogu away from him?

Ahsoka may not have known what the woman was saying with her hands, but she knew her thoughts. She smiled sadly. “I’m not certain I can,” she answered. “They’re too attached to each other, but there are other options.”

And what of my little girl?

Ahsoka smiled kindly at Y/N. “Keep being her mother,” she said. Y/N smiled and nodded and the pair continued walking. They met Din at the Crest just as he came down the ramp with Grogu in his arms. “You’re like a father to him,” Ahsoka called. Y/N went to check on Mandi while she heard Din and Ahsoka talking, she returned to hear the end of their conversation. It sounded like they had a new destination. Tython it was.

I am absolutely interested in more of the time travel fic!!! What you have so far is awesome!

Here you go!

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Time travellers from the future were just about the last thing that Obi-Wan expected to find when he decided to investigate the ancient temple.

They had been taking a break from their journey to a remote Mid-Rim planet, where the senators would be meeting with a delegation from the neutral systems to attempt to negotiate possible alliances and trade routes. Personally, he thought that having an escort of two companies, two padawans and four Jedi was a bit of overkill, but he recognised that this would probably be a prime target for the Separatists if information about it got out, and it almost certainly would.

Plus, he was fairly sure Yoda was trying to either punish them all by forcing them to endure what was sure to be a long and tedious round of diplomatic talks, or force them all to take a break with what was, on paper, a fairly easy mission, as their only job was to make sure that all the senators were safe, rather than to actually oversee any of the negotiations. Really, it was the closest thing to a rest they could get since the Senate was getting exceedingly reluctant to allow the Jedi and their troops have leave; but this assignment had the added bonus of allowing all their battalions leave, with Alderaan having generously offered space on their planet for the battalions to rest whilst their generals were otherwise occupied.

They'd touched down on what was logged as an uninhabited planet so that the senators could stretched their legs and they could use the oceans to restock their water supplies, as the fancy model of ship used as the senator transport did not have a large enough reserve space to last the whole trip.

The ExplorCorps had noted in the planet's profile that there was an ancient temple, with some old carvings throughout it and, of course, Obi-Wan had wanted to take a look. Senator Amidala had readily agreed as well as Bail, though the other senators in the delegation had seemed disinterested in the prospect of examining old Jedi architecture at best, or scared at worst.

So, Mace and Luminara stayed with the great majority of senators and Obi-Wan and Anakin took themselves and a small delegation of clones to the ruins.

They'd eventually gotten to a room filled with carvings, that had a large stone in the middle of it. Having studied the particular ancient dialect printed in runes on the walls during his youth, Obi-Wan was immediately distracted. So distracted, that he only came back to himself when Anakin let out a sharp reprimand that had Fives pausing, his fingertips bare inches from the stone in the middle of the room.

A second later, there was a flash of light and now, Obi-Wan was staring at a group of time travellers from the future, at least two of which had access to the Force; future Jedi if their lightsabers were an accurate indicator, though both of them had shields much more fragile than Obi-Wan would expect from Jedi of their ages, even if they were still padawans - though he noticed that neither of them bore a braid of any kind.

Before any of them could comment, Obi-Wan's comm buzzed.

"Master Kenobi," Mace's voice floated through it, as level as ever to anyone who didn't know him well - but Obi-Wan did, would even consider Mace one of his closest friends at this point in the war, and he could hear the slight edge in his voice, "Can you think of any reason why a light freighter just appeared out of thin air?"

The Wookie garbled out a happy, "She's here!"

Just as he spoke, the human male who had appeared closest to the stone breathed a relieve sigh. "The Falcon came with us."

The woman's - girl, really, she was clearly younger than even Anakin was - eyes widened.

"That's the Millenium Falcon," she informed them, her accent a weird mixture of Core with hints of Outer Rim at the edges. "Tell them not to attempt to enter it. It's biolocked and booby-trapped. Anyone who attempts to get in will be repelled with extreme force."

Obi-Wan blinked.

"Did you hear that?" he asked into his wrist.

 "Yes… Who was that?"

Obi-Wan winced internally. This was going to be a headache.

"We will explain when we meet up with you. There is a lot to we need to discuss. Don't worry, though, they are not hostile," he looked between the group as he said the last part, meeting each of their eyes and seeing them nod slightly in agreement.

There was a pause, and Obi-Wan could hear the restrained sigh behind Mace's almost monotone, "Copy that, Master Kenobi. Master Unduli and I will be awaiting your explanation."

Obi-Wan held back a sigh as he looked up at the room around him. Bail, who had wisely ducked behind the wall when the lightsabers had been drawn, (in direct contrast to Senator Amidala, who had pulled out a blaster that had been concealed in her dress and levelled in time with the troopers who were meant to be protecting her) stepped into the doorway. Everyone else had lowered their weapons, though no one had sheathed them.

This was meant to be an easy mission.

"I suggest we all take our leave of this place," he suggested. "The temple will surely send some archivists and rune experts to investigate soon, but we do not want accidentally activate anything else in the meantime."

He nodded at the now cracked stone. "As you said, that artifact can no longer be activated now that it's runes have been destroyed. I'm afraid you may be stuck here for some time… perhaps indefinitely."

A maelstrom of fear terror worry sadness filled the Force around them before Obi-Wan physically felt shields slam into place around not only the two Jedi, but the entire group.

"Apologies," the male Jedi grimaced. "Shielding is… a new concept for us. Rey is better than me."

The girl - Rey, Obi-Wan guessed - rolled her eyes as she finally relaxed her stance, placing the butt of her staff on the ground and leaning against it. "I lost control just like you did, Finn. If anything, my slip was more of a disappointment since I've had more time to practice."

The man standing behind them shook his head and crossed his arms whilst the Wookie looked up at the city with a wordless groan. Both gestures went ignored by the Jedi.

"A whole six months more," Finn sniped back. "And weren't you just saying that I've gotten more direct teaching than you?"

Rey narrowed her eyes. "Two months is not nearly enough training to expect perfection."

Finn opened his mouth, but the other man stepped forward before he could reply, putting a hand on each of their shoulder's. "You both kriffed up. Deal with it. You're being rude… and aren't you meant to be the diplomatic ones? The general's lessons aren't going to waste are they?"

That immediately shut both of them up. Finn glanced down at the ground, whilst the indignation on Rey's face cleared to a blank mask.

She visibly checked herself as she returned her attention back to their group, nodding deeply.

"We're very sorry. We are not at our best… it has been a trying few weeks for us."

Obi-Wan's tongue stuck in his throat, still trying to make sense of that assault. The Force signatures, which had previously been dull - so subdued that they had barely been bright enough for Obi-Wan to label them as Force Sensitive. However, with the wave of emotion, there had also been another change in the Force around them, like a veil pulling away from their very beings.

Finn's signature had glowed bright; a beautiful shining light that had warmed the Force around it. Rey's, on the other hand, hit him like an ion canon, the pulsing supernova filling the room, so overwhelming that it rivalled Anakin's when he lost control.

"Wait," Anakin said. "Did you just say that you've been training for eight months?"

Obi-Wan's stomach twisted. If that was true, the two in front of them were very impressive; very impressive but very troubling.

Rey grimaced. "Yes… I know it is taking me a long time to gain control. I'm working on it… Meditation is beginning to help."

Finn grinned whilst the other man snorted. Rey pursed her lips but didn't comment.

The man between the Jedi stepped forward, smiling openly. "My name is Poe Dameron. The Wookie over there is called Chewbacca, the astromech is BB-8, and Rey and Finn just introduced themselves."

"And you're from the future," Ahsoka finished for him, and, when Obi-Wan glanced back at her, he saw that her eyes were wide.

Poe nodded. "Just over fifty years if I'm remembering my galactic history correctly."

Finn and Rey nodded in agreement.

"Right," Obi-Wan said, his mind whirling with the thoughts. "Why don't we return to our transport? We will need to contact the Jedi Council about this and we can decide what to do with you there… And I think we need to have a talk."

The three humans glanced at each other, before they nodded.

"That sounds good," Finn replied.

Everyone stayed tense as they started walking, with Obi-Wan hanging back, nearest to the group of time-travellers, who all stuck closely together.

He felt the Force shift around the group, tunnels opening up between them; mental channels that were clumsy but strong.

The mental conversation that took place was remarkably well shielded, but Obi-Wan still caught a few stray thoughts that were broadcasted with especial passion.

'We could stop it! Stop it all!' the thought floated from Poe.

'I agree - but we need to do this carefully,' Finn replied.

It was quiet for a few more minutes and then one of Rey's thoughts slipped out, 'We need to do this right. We obviously can't tell Skywalker anything. From what General Leia told me of her father, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He's too erratic.'

The few other stray thoughts that slipped out were patchy, and it was difficult to tell just who they came from.

 'Organa! Definitely. The general's dad was brilliant! Is brilliant I guess because we're not letting Alderaan…'

 'Amidala?'

 'Kenobi should be good too.'

By the time they got back to the ships, Obi-Wan's thoughts were swirling with the implications of their conversation.

Something very bad had happened in the future. Something awful enough that there was no one to train two fully realised Force Users. One of which was so powerful that Obi-Wan was having trouble figuring out how she'd survived so long by herself.

Mace was waiting for them when they got there, his eyes widening as he saw the new group with them.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice flat.

"We do," Obi-Wan agreed looking back at the group. "There must be things you want to tell us."

Rey swallowed. "Yes. We have proof of everything on our ship. History books and records and stuff like that."

Obi-Wan glanced around, noting the way that the group had tensed. He needed to find out what was going on. Now.

"Anakin, why don't you and Ahsoka help Master Unduli and Padawan Offee oversee the senators. Mace and I can interview our… visitors and contact the Council. Hopefully, we can get his all sorted out in a timely manner."

After a second, he also inclined his head towards Bail. "Senator Organa… I think it would also be prudent that you join us… in the interest of keeping communications between the Order and the Senate open."

Immediately, Finn, Poe and Chewbacca relaxed, though Rey narrowed her eyes.

Bail and Mace both nodded at Obi-Wan's plan, even as Anakin huffed at being left out.

"Right," he said, beginning to walk over to the freighter sitting on the beach. "Let's get this over with."

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How are you liking this so far? What do you think will happen next? Tell me if you want more.

Satine Kryze & Pre Vizsla: Servants and Guards (part I)

Previous parts: political & social position < • > Wealth: clothes < • > paintings seen in their residences < • > living conditions < • > personal ships < • >

Servants and Guards are two groups that take care of needs and protect the richest and/or most significant people. It’s no wonder then that Satine Kryze, as a ruler of Mandalore, and Pre Vizsla, as once governor of Concordia & then current leader of Death Watch, were seen in their company over the course of animated series. At the same time, The Clone Wars and additional sources present both similarities and differences between how representatives of these groups served Satine and Pre.

The first part will be focused at servants.

On Coronet, during the travel from Mandalore to Coruscant [s02e13], Satine tried to pursue other republic senators to her cause / ideal of pacifism. On her luxury spaceship, no human servants (beside the Royal Guards & ship personnel) were seen.

The group of politicians were served by, most likely BD-3000 luxury droids who were responsible for providing beverages

while other servant (and protocol) droids were serving Satine and her guests during dinner:

The additional informations about Voyage of Temptation states that

The use of droids isn’t anything new - droids have always been a cheap workforce while at the same time their programming made them suitable for working with a diverse mass of people. Serving droids may work for many hours, don’t complain, always are nice to the guests/travelers, can comunicate in many languages, the ideal service for such prestige - and political important - ship. During Voyage of Temptation the luxury Coronet could be reserved only for Satine and her guests (thus lack of human servants and other travelers), nevertheless the droids are, if not the main then at least the visible group of servants on the ship.

Droids as much as are useful, aren’t the most liked or appreciated group:

Droids are intelligent mechanical contraptions that are vital to the smooth operation of galactic society. Every day, millions of subservient automatons negotiate treaties, repair hyperdrives, cure plagues, incinerate garbage, nurse children, haul cargo, deliver messages, cook meals, and kill enemies. At the same time, droids are often ignored and unappraciated, treated as chattel by many owners and looked at with outright hostility by others (by The Essential Guide to Droids)

Now, this is something to think about, because on one hand, Satine hopes that Coronet’s trips to Coruscant would help to change republic citizens’ idea about Mandalore and its people, an idea based more on “lurid holodramas about ancient warriors” than current reality. But at the same time, so far there was no native Mandalorian (either as someone born on Mandalore-planet or Mandalore-system/sector) working on Coronet as servant to attend the needs - or curosity - of travelers. I mean, the chance to meet and talk with living New Mandalorian could be an interesting cultural experience, right? Yet the serving role is, as far as TCW showed, reserved for droids alone.

There are two interesting aspects of that situation:

from what I remember, droids were rarely seen / used on Mandalore (and Concordia) through the course of TCW. Yet, there is plenty of them on Coronet; some are luxury models, some more common types. The ship was a tool of Satine's intergalactic politics AND tool of propaganda / cultural exchange between New Mandalorians and outsiders (Republic citizens). This makes me wonder if New Mandalorians are too proud (or disliking the idea) to serve as servants on such ship? Or if they are so pro-technology and/or use of droids, why droids aren’t common sight on Mandalore (and Concordia)?

The events of Voyage of Temptation episode happened in Clone Wars, when droids are even less liked, trusted or tolerated than before. What once again comes down to why Satine (and in general, New Mandalorians society) is using droids on such scale on one ship, yet not on Mandalore?

Beside those few thoughts, the most eye-catching thing is Satine’s lack of handmaiden who would help her get ready for the meeting (and dinner) with important senators or support her in any other means. No human (or alien) trusted servant [beside Royal Guards] around her, just politicans, ex-beloved and mass of droids.

The second example happened during Padme’s visit on Mandalore [s03e05]. When women have dinner, there are two Mandalorian servants who pour wine into their glasses:

This short scene shows that Satine did have human (female) servants yet there is little to none hints those women have any special, closer bond with their ruler. We can’t be sure about that of course due to limited sources and all, but so far, Satine seems to be a lone (female) figure at her own court. In contrast, Padme’s handmaidens played much more prominent role (especially in movies) than just being a nice background. Even though the social class difference, Padme and her haindmaidens interacted with each other and seemed to have good (warm) relationship and were adressed by their names while Satine most likely saw her Royal Guards as the only people she could trust.

Before I’m gonna talk about Royal Guards, let’s look at Pre and his servants through three examples: meeting with Satine & Obi-Wan on Concordia, enslaved women of Carlac and talk with Maul.

During first, Pre was still seen as trustworth ally of Satine and as governor of Concordia, was in position of great power. As politician, Pre most likely met and interacted with many people of similar position. The visit of Satine and Obi-Wan (representing Jedi Council / Republic) was unexcepted due to tragic event on Mandalore. It’s understable then Duchess Satine and her guest weren’t welcomed by big party (like Padme was by Satine much later, for example). We didn’t have a chance to see the three of heroes dinning together, but I find it really interesting that Pre was making drinks for Satine and pouring their glasses himself. On one hand, it makes the scene less formal, showing those two characters feel at easy around each other and drop the “diplomatic protocol” act. On another, Pre is “alone”, not supported by any of his human servants or droids, while Satine has her Royal Guards standing on watch. Of course, maybe he is following Mandalorian (Concordian?) etiquette and plays the good host, at least until the supposed dinner was to be served.

Before I’m gonna talk about second example, I need to say one thing: The A Friend in Need episode iirritated my pretty much. Not the violence itself, because Mandalorians are capable of terryfing things, but the lack of explanation why Death Watch decided to stay on Carlacc, why they took hostages instead of just took control over village and live in more comfortable way, what was the deal between DW and native people and why Death Watch from the secret army changed into “motocycle gang” for one episode (beside that Lucas wanted them feel like such group). I have a lot problems with A Friend in Need due to some senseless elements (the whole arresting Lux on neutral ground, Mandalorian misogyny that is not part of their Legends!culture) especially since the whole episode feels like made to just kill some poor girl so Ahsoka can have supposed cool moment.

That said, we didn’t see Pre acting violent against the captured women until the burning village scene, but he was responsible for what happened to them and at least one of his men acted aggressively against hostages. Killing those poor women may not be an option back then, but it doesn’t seem like Pre cared for their fate beyond their usefulness. Here comes a bit of the senseless moments, like A) sending Ahsoka to captured women, even though she was introduced as Lux’s fiancee and the boy was close to become part of Death Watch B) assuming that woman should be sent away (and then taken to those serving women) so the men could talk is nonsense/hypocrisy since Death Watch have female warriors and Bo was Pre’s second in command and C) which such treating of those women I’m surprised Pre & DW are so trusting to eat what they served them. I know I would worry if food was poisoned or if the women spit inside the soup. Like, we didn’t see any Death Watch soldier forcing women to test if the food is edible, why they are so trusting morons...? Sorry for the last part.

The women not only cooked the food, but were also forced to serve the warriors at the table. For unknown reason (beside the needs of plot), Ahsoka served with them. The presence of serving women this time do not encourages warriors to taunt or torment the poor servants. Maybe Pre made sure his men behave, or maybe what happend before was an isolated incident. Albeit Tryla warned Ahsoka “You don't want to make them angry. They are far from rational.” so it’s hard to tell for sure how often - and how much - Mandalorians were violent against them. For sure women weren’t there on their own will, nor feel safe around their captors.

During the feast, kidnapped women served warriors food albeit we didn’t see them starting from Pre, the leader (or serving him at all, although he had his bowl in later scene), not from Lux, the honor guest. Pre and Bo-Katan and other warriors didn’t seem to mind or care.

Later, when the chief of village came and demanded Death Watch to leave his people in peace, Pre agreed and the next day killed Tryla and ordered to burn village. All just to prove who is the stronger and that Death Watch is not taking orders from weakling.

There is not much to tell how Pre treats (human) servants - he is willing to capture people and force them into servitude, something that ancient Taungs/Mandalorians did on many occassion and kill them as punishment / show who is stronger (the master) but at the same time he alone did not torment kidnapped women (or the droids, as far as we could see), did not care he get his meal as the last one. I’m really wondering what kind of deal Death Watch had with villagers / chief and why they kidnapped women in the first place. Was that a need for servants alone or was that a way to test the chief when he is gonna show some guts? The lazinnes of warriors and their feeling like Death Watch could torment people for fun may be true but then why they:

didn’t just take the control over village and resident there in much more comfortable conditions? Also

The Death Watch camp on Zunbar moon didn’t have any additional (forced) servants and warriors were doing just fine, so it’s not like they needed outsiders to serve them.

Keeping people against their will is inconvenience since the hostages must be supervised all the time, to make sure they don’t run away or worse, don’t try fight back or sabotage warriors in other means (like poising food).

It would really help, if the episode give more informations about what happened between Death Watch and the village chief instead of generic explanation. But that is common problem with The Clone Wars, unfortunately.

The third example once again shows Pre acting as the good host who himself serves the "guest” [s05e14]. What is important, Death Watch found injured Maul and Savage and the previous scene of “interrogation“ in which Bo was ready to shoot unconscious Savage to keep Maul in check proves the Zabrak brothers were more prisoners than a real guests. Yet Pre treated Maul as equal, sharing his tea and serving him personally (the way he treated once Satine) before their talk get serious for good.

The other Mandalorians did not play the role of servants (one warrior was simply eating his own food the whole time Pre talked to Maul), even though they were Vizsla’s own men. Most likely their presence was additional security for the leader of Death Watch, since Pre already had (not the best) experiences with force sensitive people thus troubles were to be expected.

Once again, Pre did not rely on people/droids and took himself the role of good host while no other Mandalorian was seen in role of servant. The warriors most likely were there to guard Pre, yet the way they act is far from Royal Guards of Satine, who usually were shown as just standing in the background and waiting whereas we could see Pre’s men talk between each other, eat together, enjoy each company or spar.

So far, nor Satine nor Pre have any significant relationship with servants. The Duchess rely on droids and people to serve her and her guests/friends, but she doesn’t put any special trust or focus at them. Pre is willing to capture and force people into servitude to test village chief and/or to prove his point (not taking orders from weakling) but he doesn’t paid them much attention, nor doesn’t do anything when he, as Death Watch leader, isn’t treated with special honors. In contrast to Satine, we could see him twice serving personally his guests and he doesn’t seem to be bothered by that either. At the same time, despite having hierarchy, Death Watch members aren’t forced into serving role - they may act as additional security, like during meeting with Maul, but they feel pretty at easy around their leader and do their own things (talking with each other, eating, sitting on special seat). In contrast, through TCW we don’t see Satine sitting with her servants at the same table, nor even talking directly or indirectly to them at all. Both in movies and TCW, we could see Padme taking advice or adressing her handmaides. Even though we didn’t see Pre talking one on one with other DW members (beside Bo?), he did adress his men while having “official meeting” with village chief and Maul.

In makes me feel like Death Watch is more closely related to each other as opposed to Satine’s New Mandalorians, in which the social duties (commanding vs serving) is much more strictly followed.

Part II about Guards is coming soon.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 1 Review: Aftermath

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This Star Wars: The Bad Batch review contains spoilers.

The Bad Batch Episode 1

During the opening scene of The Bad Batch, the new animated series set during the rise of the Empire, the The Clone Wars logo burns away. At once blatant marketing and a promise of something new, the logo neatly explains what The Bad Batch is.

As Jennifer Corbett (producer and head writer) and Brad Rau (producer) said during a press junket ahead of the May 4 premiere, this show is a spiritual successor and also a direct sequel to The Clone Wars. The beginning of the new show draws from the epic scale of The Clone Wars‘ series finale (and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy which it parallels). But while the action and heart are all there on paper, stock characters and a too-straightforward plot drag down the 70-minute premiere.

The five characters of the Bad Batch, lead by elite clone Hunter, never quite fit in. Like many other aspects of technology in Star Wars, cloning isn’t an exact science, and Clone Force 99 are “deviant” or “defective” depending on who’s talking, but they’re very good at their jobs of fighting on behalf of the Republic. But when the Republic transitions to the Empire, they’re immediately asked to start doing messier jobs, such as hunting down human rebels, whereas they’d usually fight droids. As you’d expect, the clones swap sides and, of course, end up having to fight their way out of their home base. A young girl clone named Omega helps them out, and the stage is set for the rest of the season, which will have at least 14 episodes.

Star Wars guru Dave Filoni is joined by Star Wars Resistance writer Jennifer Corbett on the creative side. Her pedigree in delivering stories for the Sequel-era animated show, and her experience in the U.S. Navy, make her an ideal guide for this war story. As military science fiction, The Bad Batch is serviceable, with the creative action and silly one-liners typical of The Clone Wars. The franchise’s approach to animation is always improving, which in this first long episode manifests mostly in impressive snow and a fun depth of field effect. The sharp corners of armor contrast nicely against soft, blurred lights in the out-of-focus backgrounds.

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As far as plot goes, it’s pretty simple, leaving me to want to dig into some of the more weighty sections but not sure whether they’re actually statements. The Bad Batch see the other clones turn on the Jedi during Order 66, but for the same reason their other “defects” make them stronger, the inhibitor chips that should brainwash them according to the Emperor’s wishes don’t work. They choose to let the Jedi in their vicinity live. Future-Grand Moff Tarkin sees their rebelliousness as a good chance to prove the Clone Army is no longer effective. After all, conscripts would apparently be cheaper. But after the Batch uncover Tarkin’s true colors, they defect for good.

It’s cool to see this transition happening. What do clones become after the war? It’s a question hardcore Star Wars fans might leap to answer (they don’t all become stormtroopers, and not all stormtroopers are clones) but we haven’t seen it so directly on screen before. It’ll be nice if The Bad Batch addresses some of the practical questions around that.

Meanwhile, Tarkin’s clearly willing to shed civilian blood in a way the Jedi generals weren’t, replacing the clones bred for war with human volunteers. Like many other Star Wars stories set during the Prequel era, the Batch’s choice presents a moral decision with no right answers. The “good” choice here would be to maintain a status quo in which tens of thousands of people are born solely to fight wars with droids, which, while technically enemy soldiers, are also sapient. And while I can generally get lost in the military camaraderie fantasy here, the fact that other clones don’t like them makes what exactly the Bad Batch is fighting for even more muddled. Maybe this is about giving this squad a new cause they believe in outside of the definitely-bad Empire.

Or maybe the fact that it’s hard to tell the Republic’s policies from the Empire’s is the point. This is how the Republic fell after all: gradually.

The strongest character beats involve the characters learning to trust each other in new ways. Team leader Hunter’s superpowers are “enhanced senses,” although that isn’t really on display much. He begins to distrust team sniper Crosshair when Crosshair becomes over-eager to follow their grim mission by the book. Their arguments were most compelling before the inhibitor chip was introduced: while I know it fits with the lore, it defangs the story a little to have the main antagonist’s motivation be “he was brainwashed,” and I was a little unsure of how much the show was willing to either pin blame on him or absolve him of it. Either way, we haven’t seen the last of Crosshair.

The Bad Batch can’t even trust the Kaminoans, their creators and stewards of their beloved home. The one who shows this the best is team heavy Wrecker. His tendency to scream about blowing stuff up I generally find more annoying than funny, but toward the middle of the extended episode he adds pathos without getting away from this broad characterization. Wrecker isn’t programmed, he insists. He likes what he likes. His determination to hold on to a sense of himself as a person with free will feels like the real stakes of the show. It’s a section of the episode that quickly jumps back into goofy, fun action, but for a moment gets at something more serious and scary. Wrecker’s determination to hold on to his individuality shows exactly what Tarkin hates most about the clones. Ironically, in Tarkin’s estimation, he needs stormtroopers that can be even more tractable.

Unfortunately, the moments most important to this theme are undercut by repeating information the audience already knows. If you’ve watched The Clone Wars, you probably know about Fives’ discovery of the inhibitor chips and how Ahsoka helped Rex remove his. But moments like the one above sell the fact that the clones would be shocked to learn the truth about their new Empire.

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The brand new member of the group is Omega, a young teenage clone introduced as both audience surrogate and mystery. (She’s also a particularly noticeable example of how the Empire is whitewashing the clones — those further from the Jango Fett template have lighter skin.) She’s a big fan of the Bad Batch because, like them, she’s an altered clone. It’s implied that she’s never really been able to make friends with other humans before, so it makes sense she’d latch on to the other unique clones in her orbit. Her fondness for them sometimes reads like a script for how much the audience is supposed to be fawning over the headliners, but the show never quite really shows the world from her perspective. Nevertheless, I think it’s overall a less jarring introduction than Ahsoka’s, who became a great character as she got more involved with the rest of the saga. It’s a “wait and see” with Omega as well.

I am a bit wary the series might be hurrying to repeat the sleight-of-hand pulled with Rey, presenting a character as both a point of view and a mystery at the same time. The first two episodes provided for review hint something bigger is going on with Omega, and how grounded that thing might be might determine whether it works. It’s become a bit tiring to use “who is this character?” as a jumping-off point rather than providing an answer in the first place and building from there.

As far as connecting to other Star Wars characters we do have answers for, The Bad Batch instantly announces that this will be a cameo-heavy episode, and…that’s okay? Now that they’re not being as coy about it as Rebels was, it’s a lot of fun to see Saw Gerrera and a young Kanan Jarrus. (Even if the latter cameo does instantly contradict the Kanan backstory comic released by Marvel a few years ago.)

When the Bad Batch were introduced in The Clone Wars I found them boring, their action figure-ready powers not any more compelling than the clones and Jedi we already had. They still seem a strange choice for headliners when characters like Ahsoka are operating at the same time. More so than The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch feels like a deep cut, a completionist tale that may struggle to hold fans. While comparisons between the avuncular Batch and Omega’s relationships with Din Djarin and Grogu are inevitable, this is no The Mandalorian in terms of either content or accessibility.

The post Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 1 Review: Aftermath appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Sometimes it’s easy to lose track of how amazing STAR WARS fandom can be, when there can be so much awful behavior by fans that never seems to end. But then you fling yourself back into reading fic and maybe not all fic all across fandom is perfect, but some of it is so incredibly talented and some of it is so incredibly good spirited and some of it is so incredibly fun that you remember, ah, yes, this is what makes fandom so much more than worthwhile. FIC SAVES ME EVERY DAY OF MY FANDOM LIFE and bless it for that.  Fandom is amazing. ✦ Bitter Confessions by FireflyFish, obi-wan/anakin, 4.7k    Obi-Wan Kenobi is having a secret affair with Satine Kryze and Anakin Skywalker is trying very hard to be okay with that. Until Satine ends the relationship because she’s tired of sharing Obi-Wan’s attention with a mysterious third person. ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obi-wan, 30.1k wip    During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. ✦ Little Notes by Dragons_Heart, obi-wan/anakin, modern au, 1k    The idea of the secret admirer has been around for decades, possibly centuries. They never speak directly, but instead choose to leave little notes for their love to find. They only dream that one day they’ll be together. ✦ to prove it so by retts, obi-wan/anakin, force ghosts, 3.5k    ‘Then it was real, my Padawan.’ ✦ Don’t Let This End by SoftlyFocused, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 4.9k    Anakin is frustrated by how devastatingly handsome Obi-Wan looks at one of Padmé’s political parties, he gets drunk to cope. Obi-Wan is frustrated with how needy and demanding Anakin has been, he gets drunk to punish him. Both of them really need to release some tension after this seemingly endless war. ✦ Four Letters, Starts With L by frodogenic, anakin & luke/mara, 3.2k    A fluffy oneshot set in the Limpet AU. A terrorist attack, a medcenter, and the unpredictable consequences of a certain four-letter word. ✦ the sanctity of dreams by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin & bail, ~1k    Right before reaching Zigoola, Obi-Wan receives a transmission from home. ✦ closing in by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin, 1k    Anakin and Obi-Wan were already long gone at that point, as their souls had perished together in the lava and amidst the acrid smoke; and all there was left was their shells, empty, remembering fragments of happier times that had long since passed. ✦ Helpless by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, bondage, d/s, 1.9k    Anakin finds himself helpless. ✦ just a little bit by retts, obi-wan/anakin, 1.9k    Anakin took a deep breath and leaned into Obi-Wan’s space. Obi-Wan kept his ground and arched a brow at him. This was curious. ‘I like being tied up,’ Anakin whispered conspiratorially. Obi-Wan blinked. 'I beg your pardon?’ ✦ Young Lust by Writer_Markilyn, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka, NSFW, modern au, 19.1k    Obi-Wan is only human, he sometimes forgot to turn off the stove, spent all his money on coffee, or even forget to change the oil in his car that now sounds like it’s going to explode when he turns it on. He ends up finding a mechanic shop that luckily isn’t too far from his home, and when he arrives, he lays eyes on a messy haired, oil streaked mechanic, with bewitching blue eyes, and it’s in that moment, Obi-Wan knows he’s a goner. ✦ slices by springsoldier (ladydaredevil), ahsoka/barriss & luminara & cast, modern au, pushing daisies au, 1.7k    In which Barriss bakes pies and wakes the dead and Ahsoka is her alive-again childhood sweetheart. ✦ Tiny!Obi-Wan and the Red Man, Part 6 + Part 7 by phosphorescent-naidheachd, obi-wan & qui-gon & mace & cast, 2.2k wip ✦ to be made right by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & cast, 10.1k    Anakin is not angry; Obi-Wan is dead, and he feels hollow. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan realizes his mistakes, and Ahsoka is left to clean up the mess. full details + recs under the cut!

✦ Bitter Confessions by FireflyFish, obi-wan/anakin, 4.7k    Obi-Wan Kenobi is having a secret affair with Satine Kryze and Anakin Skywalker is trying very hard to be okay with that. Until Satine ends the relationship because she’s tired of sharing Obi-Wan’s attention with a mysterious third person.    Oh, this was such a lovely piece because it’s so incredibly true to Anakin’s character, that he’s consumed by this storm of feelings, that he’s so incredibly unfair to the people around him, he stomps right over the boundaries they’ve rightfully set up for themselves, because he feels things so intensely and cannot let them go. That Obi-Wan has made it clear he doesn’t want to talk about this, yet Anakin forges ahead anyway, that he knows full well that this is hurting his friend and their friendship and does it anyway, yet you cannot help but have sympathy for him and understand why Obi-Wan loves him so much. Because Anakin, mess though he may be, perfectly written here to show that anger and the dragon that lives in his heart, a metaphor that is used just the right amount, is still this incredible alive person, this brilliant star in the sky that Obi-Wan loves so very much.    So, I would have loved it just for Anakin being unfair and selfish and so, so sympathizable! But, oh, Obi-Wan, who tries so hard to be gentle yet firm with him, who has every reason to think that the truth would only hurt their friendship, who has put up with so much and will reach a breaking point here–such good characterization, oh my god. Especially when you realize that Obi-Wan is always warm and kind with Anakin, but that moment when he’s truly angry, Anakin gets a taste of the lethal and predatory side of Obi-Wan that has always been part of who he is. The moments where he stalks towards Anakin in fury or where he backs Anakin up against the wall, those are beautiful and appeal to my id like you wouldn’t believe (SO HOT OMG) but also are used to show just HOW MUCH Obi-Wan is kindness with him, that contrast shows exactly how different he usually is with Anakin.    But this is a happy fic and it has such warmth and kindness in the end, there’s a great line from Obi-Wan that’s utterly sparkling and perfect, there’s so much of Anakin being a mess in a way that should make me want to smack him, but instead just makes me want to wrap a blanket around him and feed him a cookie, which is exactly how I should respond to his character. It’s a shorter fic, but it was so pefectly made for me and so lovely and just a really, really great thing to pick up and enjoy! I LOVED IT SO MUCH. ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obi-wan, 30.1k wip    During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone.    Chapter 6: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. As always, my thought whenever I finish a chapter of this story is, “Noooo, why does it have to end there, I want to keep reading!” And this is a chapter that’s about Anakin and Isten’s interaction, as well as the growing mystery of whatever creepy thing is happening in the house, and it’s all just so very lovely. There’s a sense of something shifting and roiling with Anakin here, he’s unsettled and I can really feel it in everything he does, whether it’s tossing and turning in bed at night or in his angry conversation with Isten. Whether it’s the house getting to him or being confronted with things he doesn’t want to think about (my answer: PROBABLY BOTH), it’s getting under his skin and let me tell you about how much I love Anakin Skywalker being a mess and being contrasted against the Sith version of himself and not wanting to hear what he has to say or feel how much more settled that version is in his own skin. The nightmares that haunt him (which are beautifully used here, how that’s something that still lingers in his heart and drags him down again and again, how it claws at him), the darkness that terrifies him, the way he feels like he’s not really in control, all of it is building and, oh, I’m so entirely here for that.    The insights Isten has into Anakin’s character, what he utterly understands about the person who is a mirror image of himself in a lot of ways, is fascinating, because it’s true–for all that Isten has Fallen, for all that one shouldn’t trust him, for all that he’s probably capable of terrible things, that just means that he knows how to face the truth and turn it into a weapon that cuts and undermines Anakin, he knows how to hurt with it. And the unsettling thing about the dark is that it’s not always 100% wrong, especially why he isn’t bothered by the house, but Anakin is. That he’s right about what Anakin wants when he acts out, how desperately he wants attention, how giving himself over to the one he wants will stop the noise–and, whatever else Isten may or may not be wrong about, he’s not wrong about that, when he himself is proof of it. And, oh, that contrast, that parallel between these two Anakins, that’s so good for me.    Of course, there’s still more going on. The house and the shadows that are slowly creeping forward are more pronounced now, even if the character themselves don’t see them. It’s slow and insidious and there’s something there, but you can’t put your finger on it yet and it’s beautifully creepy. And I still have no idea what drew these people together, if the Sith versions are just id made flesh or if they’re something else, I don’t know what they want or which of them is telling the truth about who Fell or if both or neither are, and there’s a growing closeness between Jedi Obi-Wan and Jedi Anakin, partly sparked off by seeing these other two together and the lust that inspires in both of them, but also because they’re in a situation that unsettles them and it’s natural to look to the other to or for help. And, oh, the ending of this chapter got me, I didn’t see it coming, but it was built up to perfectly and it made so much sense with everything Anakin felt up to then and Obi-Wan’s response to Anakin gave me a ton of feelings. Because it’s always just Anakin that he thinks this way for, that he wouldn’t care as deeply about someone else, he wouldn’t have such sympathy for someone else, he wouldn’t draw the parallel (because they’re not the same thing) for anyone else, he wouldn’t say what he does for someone else, just Anakin. And wrapped up in the darkness they’ve been forced to confront, it’s a beautifully built narrative element, all added to how it’s Anakin crying on Obi-Wan and that’s just like one of the easiest ways to my fannish heart, especially when it’s so beautfiully written. ✦ Little Notes by Dragons_Heart, obi-wan/anakin, modern au, 1k    The idea of the secret admirer has been around for decades, possibly centuries. They never speak directly, but instead choose to leave little notes for their love to find. They only dream that one day they’ll be together.    This was a short and cute modern AU where Obi-Wan is leaving notes for Anakin and it’s just pure adorable fluff, not even really angsty for all that it’s about pining. There’s not much resolution here, it’s just about the pining and the cuteness of it, that sweet period of just holding feelings you have for someone else and enjoying the mystery of it, but it’s really enjoyable for being exactly that! It’s utterly cute and a fun read to pick up when you want something soft and adorable. ✦ to prove it so by retts, obi-wan/anakin, force ghosts, 3.5k    ‘Then it was real, my Padawan.’    Oh, I really loved this a lot, it’s such a lovely look at just after Anakin’s death, that it doesn’t matter if the Force works this way or not, it’s about the emotional story being told and what it says about Anakin Skywalker, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s hard to explain the solidity of this piece, how warm-hearted it is and touching it is, because it seems like a fairly simple thing on the surface. But it says so much about the characters, what they want in their hearts, the things Anakin years for and is terrified of, the things that Obi-Wan wants to do for Anakin, how much he loves this person, even after everything Anakin had done. The scenes themselves, just as nothing more than scenes in a story, are lovely to read, as Anakin is a Padawan again and has such a tremendously good, warm day, but the deeper meaning for both characters is what really got me here. It was heartwrenching, but in such a cathartic, hopeful way. It’s something of an honest look at Anakin’s character, that he was a monster, but that he’s let it go, and what’s left behind is still him and he’s loved. And Obi-Wan will lead him again, will take care of him again, and I’m not explaining this well, but the fic does a beautiful job of it and got right at my feelings on the whole thing. ✦ Don’t Let This End by SoftlyFocused, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 4.9k    Anakin is frustrated by how devastatingly handsome Obi-Wan looks at one of Padmé’s political parties, he gets drunk to cope. Obi-Wan is frustrated with how needy and demanding Anakin has been, he gets drunk to punish him. Both of them really need to release some tension after this seemingly endless war.    Ah, this was a lovely thing to read this morning, it’s soft around the edges in a way that makes my heart warm and feel entirely soothed, because they’re drunk and affectionately bantering but also genuine with each other, until Anakin can’t take the gentle teasing bites and touches and needs more and Obi-Wan finds him so devastatingly beautiful, is obviously just so completely in love with him, that it’s only so long he can hold out before having to touch him more, too. It’s just this really kind-hearted piece with some really satisfying sex, as Obi-Wan gently holds him down and opens him up until Anakin promises to be good and is writhing on his fingers and so, so gorgeous. Until Obi-Wan finally slides into him, Anakin nearly shaking apart with how much he wants this, and Obi-Wan keeps taking him apart, layer by layer, until there’s nothing but this in Anakin’s head, how much Obi-Wan loves him, how good Obi-Wan feels in him, how much he wants to hold back to make this last. It’s lovely and kind and ridiculously hot and satisfied my need for banter and the two of them in a situation where they can be drunkely affectionate and to just fuck the noise ouf of Anakin’s head, for Obi-Wan to have this chance to express his affection this way, to help this dear one he loves so very much. But also really, really nice sex, like that’s exactly what I’m here for, it’s so good for me. ✦ Four Letters, Starts With L by frodogenic, anakin & luke/mara, 3.2k    A fluffy oneshot set in the Limpet AU. A terrorist attack, a medcenter, and the unpredictable consequences of a certain four-letter word.    It would probably help to at least be familiar with the rest of this universe to understand the set-up, but other than that, this stands well on its own and it’s a fun read about Vader fussing over Luke and trying to deny his feelings, while also cat fighting with Mara. I really, really enjoyed Luke especially in this fic, he’s such a good person, but he’s not a pushover, that balance can be hard to strike sometimes, but it’s perfectly done here, and it’s so easy to see why these jaded, cynical, bitter people love him so much. And I really love this Luke/Mara dynamic, it’s so wonderfully them, even when it’s not really the point of this fic, and it was just an incredibly fun read! ✦ the sanctity of dreams by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin & bail, ~1k    Right before reaching Zigoola, Obi-Wan receives a transmission from home.    This was short, but a lovely little addition to the Wild Space book, where Anakin is a complete mess when he fears that Obi-Wan is going into danger and maybe won’t come back, where Obi-Wan remains strong for Anakin, because that’s what he needs, because that’s who Obi-Wan is, and it just slips between the pages of that book very nicely (though, you can read it without having read the book) and was a nice treat today! ✦ closing in by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin, 1k    Anakin and Obi-Wan were already long gone at that point, as their souls had perished together in the lava and amidst the acrid smoke; and all there was left was their shells, empty, remembering fragments of happier times that had long since passed.    A post-ROTS short fic that’s lovely and all about the hurt of how these two lives have crashed and burned. I don’t usually read “all hurt, no comfort” fics, but shorter ones I can handle and I do enjoy some good angst about how fucked up everything was by the end, especially if Vader’s just miserable about the wreckage of what he’d hoped for, because it’s really cathartic and heartbreaking when done right, like it was here. ✦ Helpless by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, bondage, d/s, 1.9k    Anakin finds himself helpless.    Oh, this was really, really lovely and such a good read for me, because it’s all about Anakin’s getting tied up and sinking into subspace, where all the noise in his head just goes away, where he doesn’t have to be anything he’s not, where he doesn’t have to many any decisions, where he’s utterly trusting in the hands that are holding him and can just let everything go. I would have picked this up for just the pretty sex, but I wound up loving this aspect of it just as much, that this is an Anakin who can find some quiet, this is an Anakin who is getting what he needs, this is an Anakin who can trust that Obi-Wan loves him and would never hurt him and so Anakin can turn over control to his Master. This is an Obi-Wan who is entirely focused on Anakin, on giving him what he needs, telling him what he needs to hear, being incredibly vigilant about how it’s going for Anakin, and why the d/s relationship works so well for them–because Obi-Wan wants to help Anakin and Anakin wants to have his head cleared out. That Anakin can push back initially, can go against the rules, can be demanding and greedy, can push his hips up for what he wants, knowing that he’s supposed to be still and quiet, and it leads to holding Anakin down so he can’t do more, which just leaves him feeling held and secure. But also, you know, Obi-Wan gently and surely opening Anakin up with his fingers, then sliding slowly into him, telling him how good he is, takes his time gently fucking Anakin until the pace builds and even then it’s unhurried, this will go on all night, and, yeah, okay, I was really very here for that as well. A straight shot at my id as always, but also what it says about Anakin’s character and the relationship between these two characters, all of that was so good. ✦ just a little bit by retts, obi-wan/anakin, 1.9k    Anakin took a deep breath and leaned into Obi-Wan’s space. Obi-Wan kept his ground and arched a brow at him. This was curious. 'I like being tied up,’ Anakin whispered conspiratorially. Obi-Wan blinked. 'I beg your pardon?’    This was adorably funny, as Anakin can’t stop telling Obi-Wan about his kinks (and, yes, yes, Anakin likes getting tied up and/or spanked and/or getting rimmed to hell and back, yes, he does) and Obi-Wan is just so entirely put-upon, like this is just another day of dealing with Anakin and he walks the line of handling this as well as anyone can versus not actually engaging with Anakin on this, in that way that’s so Obi-Wan, where he’s really more weak to that pouty look on Anakin’s face and worried about what’s going on with Anakin to be behaving so oddly like this and just some really cute, funny banter. I’m usually on the demi!Anakin train, but I will happily throw that out for Anakin being high as hell and unable to stop talking about his adorable kinks and for Obi-Wan’s delightful banter right back at him, while also obviously caring deeply about him. ✦ Young Lust by Writer_Markilyn, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka, NSFW, modern au, 19.1k    Obi-Wan is only human, he sometimes forgot to turn off the stove, spent all his money on coffee, or even forget to change the oil in his car that now sounds like it’s going to explode when he turns it on. He ends up finding a mechanic shop that luckily isn’t too far from his home, and when he arrives, he lays eyes on a messy haired, oil streaked mechanic, with bewitching blue eyes, and it’s in that moment, Obi-Wan knows he’s a goner.    It took me a bit to get into the swing of this fic, but by the time Obi-Wan and Anakin were in a relationship, the fic hit my id right straight in the feelings and didn’t let up on it. It’s a fic that whole-heartedly embraces a lot of tropes of modern AUs, which I think helps to know ahead of time, it put me in the right mindset for the fic and by the halfway point, I was just having a ton of fun with it. That and the super, super ridiculously id-pleasing sex, so many times that Obi-Wan would either gently and teasingly open Anakin up slowly before fucking up or so many times that he’d flip him over and grab hold of him to fuck back into him again or he’d spread Anakin out over the table and wrap his legs around Obi-Wan and fuck him hard and fast right there and it was all so enthusiastic, like it was super hot already but then Anakin was just so happy to have Obi-Wan’s attention, to be filled up with him, to have everything else out of his head for awhile! I will always enjoy sex that makes me happy for both characters!    But, seriously, though, they had sex like five or six times in this fic and I’ve stillgot that image of Obi-Wan fucking Anakin on the table in my head. Or all the times that Obi-Wan almost finished in him, only to pull out and flip him over so that he could push back in harder, Anakin pushing back against him for more of it, his hands scrabbling for purchase anywhere he can get, a whine in the back of his throat for how much more he wants. Like, okay, give me a minute to recover after that! It’s also a fic that comes with a lot of the two of them just being instantly attracted to each other and the fun trope of bad communication that leads to a breakup and then reunion sex where Anakin’s not going to forgive him immediately, okay! Except he still really does want Obi-Wan to fuck him! And it’s just so damn much fun that I loved every minute of them both being totally over the moon for each other. It’s just a really pleasant, happy-making fic, sexy times, enthusiastic fic that was a solid length and was pretty much exactly what I wanted to read. ✦ slices by springsoldier (ladydaredevil), ahsoka/barriss & luminara & cast, modern au, pushing daisies au, 1.7k    In which Barriss bakes pies and wakes the dead and Ahsoka is her alive-again childhood sweetheart.    I didn’t mean to get sucked into this fic, I’m generally not at the place with Ahsoka/Barriss where I want modern AUs, but I was lured by the promise of Obianidala, and just… got swept up in this, which has really lovely writing and just does a great job with Barriss’ quiet yet intense personality, how she’s so withdrawn but feels things so intensely, and it somehow just really captured the atmosphere I want for these characters, both in her relationship with Ahsoka and Luminara. Plus, the Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padme stuff was cute and I’m glad to have found a fun little fic for one of my favorite f/f pairings! ✦ Tiny!Obi-Wan and the Red Man, Part 6 + Part 7 by phosphorescent-naidheachd, obi-wan & qui-gon & mace & cast, 2.2k wip    When an intruder with a red lightsaber invades the Temple creche, 6-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life is set on a new course. But taking a different fork on destiny’s path doesn’t necessarily alter your destination…    This is an update rec and you can follow the links for the previous parts and, oh, man, I really do enjoy this story! A lot of it is tension here, as they’re chasing after a kidnapped moppet!Obi-Wan but LET ME TELL YOU about how much I love moppet!Obi-Wan and how, even as a kid, he was getting tangled up in Sith plots and hijinks. I’m glad this is still being written and look forward to more! ✦ to be made right by SpaceTimeSkywalker, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & cast, 10.1k    Anakin is not angry; Obi-Wan is dead, and he feels hollow. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan realizes his mistakes, and Ahsoka is left to clean up the mess.    Oh, my god, this fic was one beautiful revelling in Anakin’s depression after Obi-Wan’s apparent death, how withdrawn and devastated he is, which appeals to me for the shipper feelings, of course, it was so good on that front, what it said about how desperately Anakin loved him, what it said about Anakin’s character and how emotionally unstablized he is by this (even more than he already was), and about Obi-Wan’s growing concern for Anakin when he doesn’t see him around during the undercover mission, how deeply worried he is, and how Anakin’s reactions (and sometimes lack of them) change the course of their relationship and possibly everything. I went into this fic for all the feelings it would give me about Anakin crying or sleeping in Obi-Wan’s bed or the other Jedi being worried about how deeply Obi-Wan’s loss affected him, but I got something that was even more satisfying than that.    And it’s really good-hearted and caring about the path it takes the characters on as well, it comes from such an obvious place of love. I hate when I have to bail out of a fic because it’s not how the characters themselves would act or because it gets too preachy or mean-spirited, but this one was really nicely considerate of the characters’ motivations and reasons, it had me believing that, yes, this is how the characters would act! When Obi-Wan comes back to Anakin, he realizes he made a mistake, but so much of the narrative is about Obi-Wan’s tendency to blame himself in ways that he’s not always a reliable narrator about, and there’s nothing but sympathy for everyone who’s in this shit war they’re all in, they love each other and that shines through here. And I loved it for that, but also that it’s used to bring things to a head in a better way than they did in canon, that it’s used to lance open a wound that was already festering, that it’s used to make certain things rear their head because they needed to be said here, not later, that they find their way back to each other in the way that they would. The final scene had me letting out this breathy, happy, satisfied sigh for how perfect it was, how things that didn’t matter were set aside, how of course Anakin would forgive him here, how it was just the right amount of apologizing versus confessions versus turning towards something better. It was so good for all of that.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 1 Review – The Marshal

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This Star Wars: THE MANDALORIAN review contains spoilers.

The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 1

The Mandalorian’s season two premiere is a well-structured example of the show’s Space Western ethos, showing deft technical skill on the part of its director, showrunner Jon Favreau, a fun menagerie of monsters, and exciting action. While it didn’t move the story forward or offer new characterization for the titular Mando, Din Djarin, or the Child as one might expect from a premiere, the show is certainly good at what it does. It’s expanding the Star Wars universe with anecdotes full of old-fashioned charm while updating creatures and aliens for today. It’s an entertaining start for a sorely needed season of escapism, even as I perpetually wish the show would go more specific and weird instead of retracing both Star Wars and Western ground. 

Where season one left off, the Mando was searching for clues as to the origin of the lovable, Force-sensitive Child known in the fandom as Baby Yoda. The very first glimpse of them in “The Marshal” sums up the appeal in the show’s odd duo: the faceless Mando striding like he could walk through walls, followed along by the wide-eyed baby in his floating bassinet. Gruff father figure and toddling child is a staple pair of all kinds of media, from post-apocalypse to comedy, and it works here by stirring together elements of both. In the dusty world of Star Wars, the Child is inherently cute and funny. It’s easy to get invested in the bond between the two of them.

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Fans looking for a reinforcement of that bond won’t really see it in “The Marshal,” though. Aside from the Mando’s surge to rescue the baby from something that isn’t specifically targeting him, the plot mostly revolves around Mando and a new hero. Timothy Olyphant of Deadwood and Justified fame returns to type as Cobb Vanth, a drawling lawman who first appeared in the Star Wars novel series Aftermath. As the marshal of the episode’s title, he’s in charge of a mining town that can’t catch a break. It’s been menaced by Tusken Raiders, mining gangs, and a Krayt dragon. In order to fight off the latter, they’ll have to team up with the former.

Last season made strides toward scrubbing the movie saga’s portrayal of the Tusken Raiders as mindless and vicious. Here, they’re a metaphor for indigenous people with their own language, traditions, and reasons for why they can come off as cruel to people who don’t live in the deep desert. Mando sums up the episode’s point of view on this: “They are brutal. But so is the Dune Sea.” It’s at least more nuanced than the original, the episode neither portraying the humans or the Tuskens as identical nor impossibly different. 

Cobb Vanth’s little arc is also muted but functional. Although he’s wearing Mandalorian armor, he isn’t one himself. Din Djarin is disgusted, ready to kill him until the Krayt dragon shows up. In the end, Vanth trades the armor for Djarin’s help. Is the lesson here that sometimes appropriation is accidental and stolen property can be earned back by astounding feats of strength? The episode doesn’t really frame it as relevant to the real world as much as it is to last season’s emphasis on the Mandalorian’s religious traditions. Seeing Vanth take off his helmet seems mildly scandalous. 

Olyphant’s winning smile, easy drawl, and Western acting pedigree mean he fits nicely into the shoes of Cobb Vanth, even if the character isn’t anything new. He does not fit as nicely into the baggy clothing under Boba Fett’s old armor, which is hilarious because a lot of other Star Wars costumes don’t fit super well either. I love the intentionally unpolished-looking parts of the saga. And yes, that’s Boba Fett’s armor, and not the last reference to the infamous bounty hunter in the episode.

As well as playing to Western type, Vanth also retreads some of the same ground as the cocky bounty hunter from season one, Toro Calican, down to the similar shots of the two of them speeder biking across the desert. Part of Vanth’s purpose is to contrast his disregard for Mandalorian and Tusken tradition for Din Djarin’s religious and cultural side. Djarin knows what it’s like to be part of a community forced to live on the margins. He can be cruel — like when he left Gor Koresh (John Leguizamo) to the dogs in the very beginning of the episode — but he does have a heart. And so, it turns out, does Vanth. It is a significant but small change, extending the lawman’s fondness for his own people out to his fellow denizens of the desert. It doesn’t feel groundbreaking, for good or ill. 

Speaking of denizens of the desert, the Krayt dragon is the highlight of the episode. First seen as a menacing skeleton in A New Hope, the monster in the flesh is frightening and cool.  It doesn’t quite look like either a Dune sandworm or a dinosaur, but you can see elements of both as well as where it got the dragon name. Swimming through the sand, it looks beautiful and strange, coming from unexpected angles and diving through the landscape. It fits nicely into the world, almost the same color and texture as the rocks. However, only ever showing its head means it feels a bit like playing with a toy with no tail at times. 

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The Mandalorian Season 2: Ahsoka Tano’s Return Explained

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Star Wars: Why The Mandalorian Season 2 Won’t Solve the Baby Yoda Mystery

By Ryan Britt

I continue to marvel at the way The Mandalorian is shot, and how season two’s landscapes already feel more crowded and alive than season one’s, even though they are still pretty much the same deserts and cities. Close-ups on animals make the Tatooine ecosystem convincing. I haven’t talked much about the first few scenes because they aren’t directly connected to the Tatooine plot, but the crowded city and aliens are also convincing and fantastical. The music continues to add a great sense of wonder, and I loved the cameo from my favorite loud-mouthed mechanic, Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris).

And the finale does have a twist almost on par with Baby Yoda: Temuera Morrison taking on the role of Boba Fett, alive and scowling after seemingly escaping the sarlacc pit from Return of the Jedi. It’s a very brief cameo, and it’s unclear whether Boba will have a bigger role in the season than that, but it’s still a nice way to get fans talking after the credits have rolled. We wrote way more about Boba’s return here.

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Half of my metric for The Mandalorian has become “Would my dad like this?” And I think he would. As for me, I’m still rooting for the show to go farther outside its comfort zone and move the plot along instead of telling these one-shot stories. The episode firmly convinced me of the threat of the Krayt dragon, of the coolness and value of Mandalorian armor, of the beauty of the off-white Tatooine desert. I just wish it had gone to a new planet, or even dived deeper into the characters. Boba’s appearance is exciting, but we’ve seen this story in the Expanded Universe before. If this is average for season two, I look forward to seeing them really surprise us. 

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